Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
At 12:03 Beijing time on November 11, 2024, China Aerospace Science and Technology successfully launched 15 satellites, including Test 26A, B, C, Jilin-1 Gaofen 05B, Platform 02A03, Yunyao-1 31~36, Xiguang-1 04, 05, Oman Intelligent Remote Sensing Satellite 1, and Tianyan 24, from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Experimental Area of Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Inner Mongolia, China, People’s Republic of China using the Lijian-1 Yao-5 carrier rocket. This launch is the 208th space launch in 2024.
This batch of satellites will be mainly used in urban planning, agricultural monitoring, meteorological observation and other fields. What is striking is that the Lijian-1 Yao-5 carrier rocket is painted with the main visual elements of CCTV Video. This time, CCTV Video and China Aerospace Science and Technology have carried out cross-border brand cooperation, aiming to build a new pattern of integration between CCTV’s new media platform and aerospace technology. In this cooperation, CCTV Video provides a full range of media publicity and distribution services for the entire process of Lijian-1 assembly and launch; the successful launch of Lijian-1 also helps CCTV Video further expand its brand effect
This mission is the fifth flight of the Lijian-1 launch vehicle, and it is also the first time that a Chinese commercial aerospace company has provided launch services to international users, opening a new chapter in the international launch of commercial aerospace. In addition, in order to meet the satellite’s demand for a larger envelope space, the Lijian-1 Yao-5 launch vehicle uses a 3.35-meter diameter fairing, which significantly improves the rocket’s mission adaptability. So far, the Lijian-1 launch vehicle has accurately sent 57 satellites into the predetermined orbit, with a total mass of more than 5 tons of payload into orbit.
This mission is China’s 54th launch this year. The official draft now says “Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area” instead of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Is the launch station of Blue Arrow Aerospace also planned for the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area?
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
At 07:33 Beijing time on September 25, 2024, at the 130 workstation of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Inner Mongolia, China, People’s Republic of China, the “Lijian-1” Yao-4 carrier rocket carrying five remote sensing satellites including the China Science Satellite 01 and 02, Jilin-1 SAR01A, Yunyao-1 21 and 22 was ignited and launched, sending the satellites into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
Airsat 01 and 02 are synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing satellites developed by Airsat and Jigang Group. They are the first launch satellites of the Airsat remote sensing satellite system built by Airsat. The main payload of this type of satellite is Ku-band synthetic aperture radar with a resolution better than 1 meter. It will verify new technologies such as flat-plate synthetic aperture radar satellite, deployable cylindrical reflector synthetic aperture radar antenna, on-orbit imaging and information extraction and processing, and Ku-band re-orbit interferometric synthetic aperture radar. This type of synthetic aperture radar is used for the first time in the world.
Jilin-1 SAR01A is the first microwave remote sensing (radar remote sensing) satellite independently developed by Changguang Satellite. It is a networking satellite of Jilin-1 constellation. The satellite is equipped with X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) jointly developed by Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace and Changguang Satellite, and operates in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 515 kilometers. The successful development of Jilin-1 SAR01A marks a new technological breakthrough in Changguang Satellite in the field of whole satellite design and manufacturing.
Yunyao-1 21 and 22 were developed by Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace. They are networking satellites of the Yunyao meteorological constellation. Their main payload is the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) occultation detection payload. By inverting the GNSS occultation data, the atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure and ionospheric electron density can be obtained.
Kinetica 1 is a four-stage all-solid rocket developed by the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-developed by CASspace. It is mainly used for launch missions into low and medium Earth orbits. The rocket is 30 meters high and has a maximum diameter of 2.65 meters. It can be equipped with two specifications of fairings with diameters of 2.65 meters and 3.35 meters. Its takeoff mass is 135 tons and its carrying capacity in a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is 1.5 tons. This rocket is equipped with a fairing with a diameter of 2.65 meters.
Since its successful maiden flight on July 27, 2022, Beijing time, the “Lijian-1” has achieved four consecutive victories, launching a total of 42 satellites into orbit, with a total mass of more than 4 tons. This mission is the first time that the “Lijian-1” has carried out a morning and evening orbit launch. At present, the rocket has achieved a commercial launch mode of batch storage, rapid launch, and rolling backup.
This launch is the second launch of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket in 2024, the 12th launch of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the 45th launch in China and the 177th orbital space launch in the world. The last launch mission of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center was the Hyperbola-1 Yao-8 mission on July 11, 2024, which is 76 days (2.5 months) away from this mission.
As China’s first medium-sized rocket to achieve high-density launches and the record holder for multiple satellite launches in a single launch of Chinese commercial rockets, the Lijian-1 carrier rocket has achieved complete success for three consecutive launches, accurately delivering 37 satellites with a total load of 3.5 tons into the scheduled orbit, with a 100% launch success rate. This type of rocket is suitable for rapid network launch of small and medium-sized satellites in medium and low orbits. It has a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons in a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. It is a medium-sized solid launch vehicle with core competitiveness in China’s commercial launch vehicle launch market and is also the main force in China’s commercial aerospace industry. It is one of the rockets that can effectively meet the needs of the commercial launch market in medium and low orbits. It also has the ability to respond quickly to diversified market demands and is committed to providing customers with highly reliable, low-cost, and high-density flight-based launch services.
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
Static test of composite cabin of “Lijian-2” liquid launch vehicle
Before July 29, 2024, the static test of the composite cabin of the “Lijian-2” liquid launch vehicle was successful. This test mainly verifies whether the structural scheme meets the design requirements under the maximum design load and assesses the feasibility of the composite scheme. Since the beginning of this year, the development of the “Lijian-2” rocket has been rapidly advanced and is steadily moving towards its first flight.
“Lijian-2” is a medium-sized cryogenic liquid carrier rocket developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAS Space). It adopts a two-and-a-half-stage configuration. The take-off stage adopts a CBC configuration, in which the core first stage and two core first stage module boosters are bundled side by side, and the core second stage is connected in series on the core first stage.
The first stage of the rocket core is equipped with three YF-102 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines, adopting an open gas generator cycle and a pump-front swing design, supporting double swing of ±6°, a single sea level thrust of approximately 85 tons (835 kN), a sea level specific impulse of 275.5 seconds, and a thrust-to-weight ratio of not less than 130; the two boosters are configured basically the same as the first stage of the core; the second stage of the core is equipped with a YF-102V liquid oxygen-kerosene engine with a thrust of approximately 72 tons (710 kN), which can achieve 55%~100% variable thrust, a vacuum specific impulse of 320 seconds (throttling)~330 seconds, and support repeated starts for no less than 2 times.
Schematic diagram of the Force Arrow II
The entire rocket of “Force-2” is 52 meters high. The diameters of the core stage, core stage and booster are all 3.35 meters. It is equipped with a fairing with a diameter of 4.2 meters. The take-off mass is 625 tons and the take-off thrust is 766 tons. Its low-Earth orbit (LEO) carrying capacity is 12 tons and its 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) carrying capacity is 8 tons.
The ultimate goal of “Force Arrow II” is to become a reusable launch vehicle, realize multiple recovery and reuse of the core stage and boosters, and support reuse more than 20 times. The three-core parallel launch stage of the arrow will implement cluster separation and cluster recovery. The convenience lies in that it only needs to be equipped with a flight control system and a recovery and landing system, the latter includes a set of sang rudders and a set of landing legs. Two of the four sang rudders are distributed in the core stage, and the other two are distributed in the boosters. Two of the four landing legs are distributed in the core stage, and the other two are distributed in the boosters. According to the plan, “Force Arrow II” will realize the recovery of the core stage and booster modules in 2028.
The first flight is to launch a cargo spacecraft
Since the proposal, the “Lijian-2” has undergone major changes in the plan. The current design is very different from the previous single-stage plan, and the first flight has been postponed for several years. According to the plan, in August 2025, the “Lijian-2” will make its first flight at the No. 2 station of the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, and the takeoff stage will not be recovered.
The first flight mission of “Lijian-2” carried a heavy-duty cargo spacecraft. The cargo spacecraft was developed by the Microsatellite Innovation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the bidding for the overall plan of the low-cost cargo transportation system for the Chinese space station released by the China Manned Space Engineering Office in May 2023, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Satellite Innovation Institute jointly carried out ship-rocket joint demonstration and key technology research, and carried out the “ship-rocket-cargo” integrated space-to-earth transportation system plan design. With the ship-rocket collaborative solution of the low-cost cargo spacecraft and the “Lijian-2” rocket, it was successfully shortlisted in the bidding and entered the detailed design stage of the plan.
The launch mission of the low-cost cargo spacecraft to be carried out by the Lijian-2 rocket is the first time that a Chinese commercial aerospace enterprise has participated in the development and launch of a low-cost cargo transportation project for the Chinese space station. If it is finally selected, the Lijian-2 will become China’s first commercial rocket to carry out manned space missions, which will also be a recognition of the reliability of the Lijian-2.
Build your own advantages by networking for the constellation!
As a commercial aerospace enterprise, China Aerospace Science and Technology is targeting the vast commercial space launch market, especially the low-orbit satellite constellation launch service market. my country’s currently planned low-orbit constellation contains tens of thousands of satellites, which require launch vehicles to provide large-capacity, high-frequency, low-cost, and high-reliability launch services. Compared with China’s liquid commercial rockets of the same level, the “Lijian-2” rocket does not have an advantage in capacity, but it can work hard on high frequency, low cost, and high reliability.
Create high-frequency launches. At the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center in China, two launch stations have been built. Both stations have a designed launch capacity of 16 times per year. Station 2 is a general-purpose station that needs to support the launch of more than a dozen types of rockets, which is far from enough for high-frequency launches. In addition to using Hainan Commercial Launch Station 2, China Science and Technology Aerospace is building a dedicated technical preparation plant at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and is about to build a dedicated launch station for the “Lijian-2” rocket. Based on self-built stations, China Science and Technology Aerospace will be able to achieve dozens of launch frequencies per year.
The core secondary box section of “Lijian-2”
Achieve low cost. “Lijian-2” uses a lot of mature technologies. The main power is all YF-102 series engines. All stages use mainstream tank modules with a diameter of 3.35 meters. It uses the same avionics system as “Lijian-1”. The application of mature and common technologies means that costs can be greatly reduced. At the same time, simplifying the design is another important way to control costs. For example, the core second-stage box section takes into account the functions of the traditional liquid rocket instrument cabin and cancels the core second-stage instrument cabin, which simplifies the cabin structure and saves materials.
Achieve high reliability. While applying mature and general technologies, the power system and avionics system adopt redundant design, and the separation scheme is simple, making the rocket highly reliable. For example, the launch stage of the rocket is equipped with 9 YF-102 engines, with a single sea level thrust of about 85 tons, a total rocket takeoff thrust of 766 tons, a takeoff mass of 625 tons, and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.23, achieving a large power redundancy, and can complete the launch mission in the event of one engine failure.
Schematic diagram of the heavy-duty “Force Arrow II”
Building a stronger model
After my country’s low-orbit constellation enters the large-scale networking period, the intensive networking and launch of tens of thousands of satellites requires a large-scale reusable launch vehicle, but the current “Lijian-2” has obviously insufficient capacity.
Based on the Lijian-2, China Aerospace Science and Technology will develop a more powerful “Lijian-2” heavy-lift launch vehicle (called “heavy”, but actually large). The latter is based on the former and adds two core-stage module boosters to achieve five cores in parallel (5CBC). The “Lijian-2” heavy-lift rocket is 56 meters high, with optional fairings of 4.2 meters and 5 meters in diameter, a takeoff mass of 913 tons, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) capacity of 22 tons, and a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) capacity of 15 tons. The core stage and booster can be reused more than 20 times.
In general, the “Force-2” will be a high-quality rocket that can meet market demand to a large extent. Facing the needs of constellation network launches, with its advantages of high frequency, low cost and high reliability, the “Force-2” is bound to become one of the main near-Earth “flights”.
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
[Zhongke Aerospace Pulsating Production Model Lijian-1 Y4 Launch Vehicle Completes Final Assembly and Testing] Recently, Lijian-1 Y4 launch vehicle completed the final assembly and testing as scheduled at the Zhongke Aerospace Industrialization Base and successfully passed the factory review. Factory delivery conditions are met. This time is an example of starting a new chapter in the pulsating production model in an industrialized base and applying parallel assembly of multiple rockets. It fully verifies the leanness, standardization and mass production of rockets under the pulsating production model.
During the final assembly work of the Lijian-1 Yao-4 launch vehicle, based on the existing production process optimization basis, the task of starting the final assembly test of the Yao-4 and Yao-5 rockets in parallel was completed. At the same time, the Yaosi-4 Star-Arrow joint Operation test, satellite and rocket modal test, satellite and rocket separation test. The two rockets are located at different pulse production sites, and production resources are cleverly deployed at different production rhythm sites. On the one hand, it significantly improves the efficiency of production resource use, and on the other hand, it de-tasks rocket production and manufacturing. A solid foundation was laid.
In terms of process flow, technicians completed the relatively cumbersome process in the final assembly and testing phase, effectively reducing the final assembly workload at the launch site and facilitating the requirements for batch storage, rolling backup, and real-time launch during high-density launch periods. In terms of quality control, based on the accumulated successful practical experience of previous multiple missions, technical details have been continuously improved to form a complete closed-loop system for recording, monitoring, and tracking the entire process to ensure the traceability of the entire quality life cycle. Under the requirements of ensuring innovation in the production model and continuously improving product reliability, the final assembly of the Lijian 1 Yao 4 and Yao 5 launch vehicles was completed ahead of schedule. The final assembly of the Lijian 1 Yao 4 launch vehicle took 25 days, which was longer than the previous period. The speed of one-shot rocket assembly has increased again!
Under the pulsating production mode, the Lijian-1 Yao-6, Yao-7, and Yao-8 launch vehicles are carrying out mass production and final assembly in an orderly manner. The products, equipment, instruments, tooling, etc. involved in the entire process have been planned in advance. Deployment, production tasks are clear, and production and assembly can be started simultaneously in the final assembly and testing plant and intelligent manufacturing plant. It is worth mentioning that the Zhongke Aerospace Industrialization Base currently has complete structural cabin manufacturing and assembly capabilities. Starting from the Lijian-1 Yao-5 launch vehicle, the manufactured cabins will be directly used and delivered for final assembly, further shortening the production and manufacturing cycle. .
As China’s first medium-sized rocket to achieve high-density launches and the record holder for multiple satellite launches in a single launch of Chinese commercial rockets, the Lijian-1 carrier rocket has achieved complete success for three consecutive launches, accurately delivering 37 satellites with a total load of 3.5 tons into the scheduled orbit, with a 100% launch success rate. This type of rocket is suitable for rapid network launch of small and medium-sized satellites in medium and low orbits. It has a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons in a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. It is a medium-sized solid launch vehicle with core competitiveness in China’s commercial launch vehicle launch market and is also the main force in China’s commercial aerospace industry. It is one of the rockets that can effectively meet the needs of the commercial launch market in medium and low orbits. It also has the ability to respond quickly to diversified market demands and is committed to providing customers with highly reliable, low-cost, and high-density flight-based launch services.
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
In 2028, take a trip to space! Come and experience the space tourism capsule first｜High-quality development research trip
[China Aerospace’s “space travel vehicle” will make its first flight in 2027, and manned space travel will be carried out in 2028]
The space travel vehicle uses a combination of a single-stage rocket and a tourist cabin. The tourist cabin has 4 panoramic windows and can accommodate 7 passengers in a single flight. Passengers. During the 10-minute flight, passengers will cross the Kármán Line at an altitude of 100 kilometers and experience the feeling of weightlessness that escapes the earth’s gravity for 3 minutes. Finally, the tourist capsule will land via parachute.
The project meets a 100-hour launch cycle each time, and the supporting aerospace theme park will have 10 space tourism aircraft on standby to perform space travel experiences in shifts. The landing site for aircraft launch and recovery will be planned and constructed in coordination with the aerospace theme park, space experience hall and aerospace science education base. Passengers will also receive short-term training in the park before flying.
With the development of China, People’s Republic of China aerospace technology, it is no longer a dream for the public to travel to space. On May 15, the 2024 “High-Quality Development Research Tour” Guangdong-themed interview event came to the Zhongke Aerospace Flight Technology Industrialization Base in Nansha District, Guangzhou. Here, reporters experienced a 1:1 replica of the space tourism capsule and learned that in 2028, passengers may be able to take a real rocket to sub orbit and experience the feeling of weightlessness.
According to the staff of Guangzhou Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Zhongke Aerospace”), the suborbital vehicle that will take passengers to space will use a combination of a single-stage rocket and a tourist cabin. The tourist cabin will have four panoramic windows. , can carry 7 passengers on a single flight. During the 10-minute flight, passengers will cross the Kármán Line at an altitude of 100 kilometers and experience the feeling of weightlessness that escapes the earth’s gravity for 3 minutes. Finally, the tourist capsule will land via parachute.
The project meets a 100-hour launch cycle each time, and the supporting aerospace theme park will have 10 space tourism aircraft on standby to perform space travel experiences in shifts. The landing site for aircraft launch and recovery will be planned and constructed in coordination with the aerospace theme park, space experience hall and aerospace science education base. Passengers will also receive short-term training in the park before flying.
According to the reporter’s understanding, with the continuous advancement of technology, the ticket prices for space travel will continue to decrease, giving the public the opportunity to travel in space.
