Explanation on the flight test missions of the Hyperbola-1 Yaowu carrier rocket….At 15:39:30 on August 3rd Tuesday, 2021, the Hyperbolic One Yaowu carrier rocket was ignited and lifted off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center inner Mongolia – China – Peoples’ Republic of China my country. After the analysis and interpretation of telemetry data, the rocket’s first, second, third, and fourth-level solid engines, The liquid attitude and orbit control power, navigation guidance and control work normally, the attitude is stable throughout, the separation between various levels and the separation of stars and arrows are normal, and the flight sequence is basically the same as the theoretical sequence. Because the fairing was not properly separated, the satellite could not be sent to the 500-kilometer SSO scheduled orbit, and the flight test failed to achieve the expected goal. This launch further verified the correctness of the overall plan of the Hyperbola-1 rocket, obtained effective flight data, and accumulated valuable experience and lessons.
In which iSpace- Interstellar Glory in which it is the first Chinese Private Space Company to do so successfully commercially first out from sixty known private space companies in China People’s Republic of China.. Founded in Beijing 2016 located in Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone or known for short as E-Town…
Recently, Interstellar Glory i-Space conducted a ground verification test for the grid rudder subsystem of the Hyperbola-2 reusable launch vehicle. The test process covered the entire mission of the Hyperbola-2 launch vehicle, and the verification test was a complete success. This subsystem is one of the typical key technologies for repeated use of launch vehicles. It has the characteristics of electromechanical integration and complex mechanical and thermal environment.
The grid rudder subsystem verification test was carried out in accordance with the full elements and the entire process of the flight test state. The test covered the typical flight mission conditions of the first sub-level of the Hyperbolic II carrier rocket, including the three stages of unlocking and unfolding, dynamic adjustment, and recovery and folding. All working conditions. During the test, the grid rudder carried out dozens of cycles of movement in the two directions of unfolding and swing. The movement was smooth and sufficient to avoid. The structural mechanism products and electrical products coordinated and matched and worked normally, which fully verified the grid rudder system. The correctness of the design and the coordination of the movement.
The grid rudder is a kind of rocket flight attitude control device. It has the technical advantages of high control efficiency, good control quality, reliable and economical technology to use the grid rudder to control the attitude after re-entering the atmosphere. As early as 2018 on the Hyperbola One verification rocket, Interstellar Glory carried out the grid rudder control technology verification, accumulating experience for the development of reusable liquid rocket related systems. Rudder Technology”). Compared with the grid rudder carried by the Hyperbola-1 verification rocket, the reusable grid rudder system carried by the Hyperbola-2 launch vehicle is a more highly integrated and complex system with more working modes:
-Dangyi When the sub-level is transported on the ground and in ascending flight, the 4 grid rudders are always kept folded and close to the outer surface of the first sub-level arrow body; The folded state is unlocked and fully unfolded; -When the first sub-level returns to the atmosphere, the arrow body relies on the grid rudder to swing the first sub-level attitude control and trajectory adjustment and decelerates pneumatically, and relies on the engine’s secondary ignition for power deceleration and hovering And landing, and finally achieve a sub-level vertical landing and recovery; -When a child is completely vertical landing and recovery, the grid rudder will automatically fold, lock, and restore the initial state.
The design and realization of a fully reusable grid rudder system on a vertical recovery launch vehicle poses great technical challenges. It not only needs to meet the requirements of automatic folding and locking during ground transportation and ascent flight under severe thermal environment and multiple mission profiles. Development requirements such as automatic deployment and swing during the return process, and automatic folding and locking after recovery and landing. It also needs to meet the development requirements of good aerodynamic characteristics, reliability, maintainability and high supportability, with multiple mission profiles, harsh thermal and thermal environments, and dimensional chains. Features such as complexity and high integration.
The R&D team boldly innovated based on task requirements, and successively completed design and manufacturing difficulties such as comparison and optimization of multiple schemes, aerodynamic thermal simulation, electrical integration design of structural mechanisms, analysis of adaptability to complex environments, and overall 3D printing. The related technology can not only be used for the first-stage vertical recovery of a reusable launch vehicle, but also can be used for precise control of the wreckage landing point of a one-time use launch vehicle to improve the safety of the wreckage landing area.
The successful completion of this test is not only an important node in the development of the Hyperbola-2 launch vehicle, but also marks a breakthrough in another key technology for the vertical take-off and landing flight test of the hyperbola-2 verification rocket at the meter, Kilometer, and hundred kilometers level. , Laid a solid technical foundation for the complete success of the upcoming flight test…..
Images-visuals are from Weibo and their respectives..
Planning for Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co., Ltd. is expected to conduct a “Grasshopper Test” similar to SpaceX in 2021, using a reusable engine independently developed by Interstellar Glory to conduct a sub-class 100-kilometer vertical take-off and landing test. Test to verify the performance of the entire one- carrier rocket recovery. Among them are two key technologies: the variable thrust technology of the liquid oxygen methane engine and the re-entry recovery navigation guidance and control technology. In the second half of 2021, Interstellar Glory will execute the first launch of the Hyperbolic II small liquid oxygen methane-powered reusable launch vehicle into orbit and recycle one sub-stage……
Introducing the Hyperbola III successfully passed the review of the transition to the program demonstration Recently, Interstellar Glory organized a review meeting for the overall program demonstration of the Hyperbola III (code-named “SQX-3”) liquid carrier rocket. The review expert group gave the technical proposal It was fully affirmed, and unanimously passed the review of the transfer of the SQX-3 liquid carrier vehicle overall program demonstration, marking the official transition of the SQX-3 liquid carrier rocket from the overall program demonstration stage to the model development stage. The SQX-3 series of liquid carrier rockets, as medium and large liquid carrier rockets of Interstellar Glory, are currently known domestically planned reusable liquid carrier rockets with the largest diameter, the strongest carrying capacity, and the lowest launch price per kilogram of payload. The main model for launching missions in the launch market will help further enhance the service capabilities of domestic commercial launch vehicles.
The SQX-3 series liquid launch vehicle includes three configurations: SQX-3 basic type, SQX-3A (two-core stage in parallel), and SQX-3B (three-core stage in parallel). The carrying capacity can meet the needs of a variety of load tasks. In addition to meeting large-scale satellite networking, medium and large satellite launch tasks, it also has the capabilities of space station transportation and deep space exploration. SQX-3 inherits the SQX-2 first-stage vertical recovery technology (VTVL), and improves the rocket body diameter and engine thrust to make the carrying capacity reach the scale of a medium-sized launch vehicle; through two-core parallel and three-core parallel , So that the carrying capacity can reach the scale of a large-scale launch vehicle.
The basic model of SQX-3 is a two-stage tandem layout, with a body diameter of 4.2m, a total length of 68m, and a take-off mass of 490t. The first sub-stage is the general core stage, which uses 9 Focus 2 (code-named “JD-2”, sea level thrust 85t) liquid oxygen methane engines in parallel layout, which can be landed vertically on land recovery sites and offshore recovery platforms, with return Field recovery and off-line recovery capabilities; a JD-2 engine vacuum version (vacuum thrust 104t level) is installed in the second stage, which can achieve multiple ignitions, so that the load can be put into orbit in a variety of flight modes, and the use of it is flexible. After the SQX-3 series of liquid carrier rockets complete the program transition, Interstellar Honor will accelerate the pace of rocket development and quickly enter the launch market after completing its first flight in June 2024.
In which iSpace in which it is the first Chinese Private Space Company to do so successfully commercially first out from sixty known private space companies in China.. Founded in Beijing 2016 located in Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone or known for short as E-Town…
Planning for Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co., Ltd. is expected to conduct a “Grasshopper Test” similar to SpaceX in 2021, using a reusable engine independently developed by Interstellar Glory to conduct a sub-class 100-kilometer vertical take-off and landing test. Test to verify the performance of the entire one-child recovery. Among them are two key technologies: the variable thrust technology of the liquid oxygen methane engine and the re-entry recovery navigation guidance and control technology. In the second half of 2021, Interstellar Glory will execute the first launch of the Hyperbolic II small liquid oxygen methane-powered reusable launch vehicle into orbit and recycle one sub-stage……
Precursor On April 1, 2021, the Focus One reusable liquid oxygen methane engine (hereinafter referred to as “Focus One”) independently developed by Interstellar Glory successfully completed the 500-second simulated flight variable thrust test, and the engine was at 50% to Continuous and stable work within 100% thrust range. The test drive successfully assessed the variable thrust adjustment process of Focus One during the rocket from take-off to landing. So far, the Focus One engine has all the conditions to perform the vertical take-off and landing (VTVL) flight test.
This test run is the fifth full-system hot test of Focus One’s (fourth) engine. The five test runs are centred on the Hyperbolic II reusable launch vehicle that will be carried out this year. VTVL missions carry out targeted assessment and verification. The core includes pre-cooling process verification before flight, post-processing process verification upon return, matching verification of self-developed measurement and control system and engine, verification of multiple ignitions and reusability, and verification of reusability. Simulation flight thrust adjustment verification, etc.
The successful completion of the above test indicates that the Focus No. 1 engine is ready for the first-stage vertical take-off and landing (VTVL) flight test of the Hyperbolic No. 2 reusable launch vehicle.
The ability of the engine to have a wide range of continuously variable thrust is the core key to the rocket’s vertical take-off and landing, and it is also the basis for repeated use. For a launch vehicle that achieves repeated use through vertical take-off and landing (VTVL), only by achieving variable thrust, the rocket can be recovered in a controlled manner and reused. The Merlin 1D engine used by SpaceX meets the rocket’s vertical take-off and landing (VTVL) requirements through 70%-100% variable thrust capability and realizes the repeated use of the Falcon9 rocket.
Compared with the traditional fixed thrust and step variable thrust liquid rocket engines, the large-scale continuous variable thrust puts forward higher requirements on the engine system and key components. The control system and the engine system need to work together. At the same time, the thrust of the engine Components such as chambers and turbo pumps must adapt to changes in working conditions during the thrust adjustment process, and be able to work stably in the full thrust range.
Interstellar Glory technical team worked closely and brainstormed together, through numerical simulation and semi-physical simulation and other technical means, after many component and whole machine tests, successfully broke through the engine’s 50% to 100% thrust adjustment technology, and Focus One became the first in China. A low-temperature engine with complete and large-scale variable thrust test results.
The Focus One engine has passed many large-scale continuous thrust changes; secondary start, swing and flight thrust adjustment tests, and is the meter, Kilometer, and hundred kilometers vertical take-off and landing (VTVL) of the Hyperbolic II reusable launch vehicle. ) The test has made sufficient technical preparations, which will also lay the foundation for the follow-up Hyperbola-2 maiden flight mission.
In the future, Interstellar Glory’s engine variable thrust technology can also meet the needs of higher-level precision orbits and even soft landings on the surface of outer planets. On the basis of greatly reducing the cost of launch vehicles in and out of space, it will further meet the diversified needs of commercial aerospace customers …
In which iSpace in which it is the first Chinese Private Space Company to do so successfully commercially first out from sixty known private space companies in China.. Founded in Beijing 2016 located in Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone or known for short as E-Town…
Planning for Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co., Ltd. is expected to conduct a “Grasshopper Test” similar to SpaceX in 2021, using a reusable engine independently developed by Interstellar Glory to conduct a sub-class 100-kilometer vertical take-off and landing test. Test to verify the performance of the entire one-child recovery. Among them are two key technologies: the variable thrust technology of the liquid oxygen methane engine and the re-entry recovery navigation guidance and control technology. In the second half of 2021, Interstellar Glory will execute the first launch of the Hyperbolic II small liquid oxygen methane-powered reusable launch vehicle into orbit and recycle one sub-stage……
In previously several months ago Regarding liquid reusable launch vehicles , the Focus One reusable liquid oxygen methane engine independently researched and developed by Interstellar Honor has successively completed a series of important ground tests such as full-system long-range test runs, secondary start test runs, and large-scale continuous variable thrust test runs. , Laying the foundation for the successful launch of Hyperbola-2 reusable launch vehicle.
In the future, Interplanetary Glory will continue to carry out the commercial launch of the small solid launch vehicle Hyperbola One, the small liquid reusable launch vehicle Hyperbola 2, the medium liquid reusable launch vehicle Hyperbola 3, and the reusable liquid oxygen methane. The research and development work of Engine Focus One. The company plans to conduct a 100-kilometer-level vertical take-off and landing test of the first sub-class of Hyperbola 2 in 2021 , and perform the first flight and first-class vertical recovery mission of the first flight of the hyperbola 2 in the same year .
In April this year, the National Development and Reform Commission clarified the scope of “new infrastructure” for the first time. Satellite Internet was incorporated into the communications network infrastructure along with 5G, Internet of Things, and Industrial Internet. As the only means of transportation for carrying satellites and other payloads into orbit, launch vehicles have a broad market space. In this context, Interstellar Glory will continue to lay a solid foundation in the private commercial aerospace field, and actively explore the market space in suborbital travel, commercial space station construction and other large-scale space applications and deep space exploration.
