On the 17th May 2023 in CNSA _China National Space Administration -China – People’s Republic of China At 1049 hours Hong Kong –Beijing Time China- People’s Republic of China launch the Chang Zheng – Long march 3B Carrier Rocket launching from station form Xichang Satellite Launch Center Sichuan Province…..Deploying Geo Stationary the World’s Number one leading Beidou3 Series 56th Navigation Satellite
The 56th Beidou navigation satellite was successfully sent into the predetermined orbit, and the launch mission was a complete success. This launch is the 473rd flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles. (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology)
[Launch vehicle landing zone control technology has made a further breakthrough! 】
On May 17th 2023, the mission of launching the 56th Beidou navigation satellite by the Long March 3B carrier rocket developed by the Rocket Academy was a complete success. Another highlight of this mission is the verification test of the landing area control technology – the rocket booster is equipped with a parachute landing area control system. Strategic maneuvering flight, accurately guiding the booster separation body to the predetermined “parachute landing area”, successfully reducing the separation body landing area by 80%. The carrying test was a complete success, which laid the foundation for the subsequent engineering application of booster parachute control technology.
The booster parachute landing area control technology is a technology independently developed by the Rocket Academy to improve the safety of the rocket sub-stage wreckage landing area at the inland launch site.
When the booster separates and falls to the predetermined altitude, the parachute landing area control system installed in the nose cone of the booster will automatically start, and the manoeuvrable flight will be realized through the controllable parafoil, and the booster separation body will be guided to the predetermined area landing.
Zhang Yipu, chief designer of the rocket’s Long March 3A series of launch vehicles, introduced that during this flight, the main optimization of the booster parachute landing zone control system came from the electrical subsystem. On the one hand, it has carried out a unified design with the control system of the rocket fairing parachute landing zone, and on the other hand, it has also carried out system-level integration with the electrical equipment of the parachute subsystem, achieving a weight reduction of 30 kg and effectively improving the practical level of the product.
Based on the development concept of “rapid iteration and combination of flight transformation”, the development team has carried out a series of research on the basis of the previous pre-research results.
Overcome: the overall design technology of parachute landing area control, the overall design technology of large-area controllable parafoil, the integrated navigation and positioning technology under high dynamics, the separation technology of nose cone-parafoil combination, and a series of key technologies, combined with the control of the landing area The actual situation has formulated a reasonable and feasible “parachute landing zone” setting strategy and homing control strategy. After multiple rounds of iterative optimization and step-by-step loading verification, the controllable and accurate landing of the booster separation body is gradually realized…
After the analysis of the test data and the on-site survey of the wreckage, the control system of the parachute landing area maneuverer and flew according to the established homing strategy, and accurately guided the booster separation body to the predetermined “parachute landing area”, successfully reducing the area of the separation body landing area by 80% %. The carrying test was a complete success, which laid the foundation for the subsequent engineering application of booster parachute control technology.
In addition to the booster parachute landing zone control technology, the development team is also looking for countermeasures in multiple dimensions to reduce the impact of rocket separation on the landing zone. Active control of separation body return based on grid rudder, control of fairing landing zone based on parachute, etc..
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration