China's rocket recycling and SpaceX gap
There was a gap between China and SpaceX in terms of rocket recycling technology. In terms of the number of recycling, as of September 2024, SpaceX had successfully recycled more than 300 rockets, and the same rocket stage could be reused up to 21 times. China's recoverable rocket technology was still in the development stage. Although many companies had conducted relevant experiments and achieved results, such as Star Glory and Blue Arrow Aerospace, the overall recycling rate and reuse level were far lower than SpaceX. From the maturity and comprehensiveness of the technology, SpaceX could not only recover the rocket's first-stage boosters at sea and on land, but also explore projects such as the " Starship " that could recover both the first-stage and second-stage boosters. In June 2024, during its fourth test flight, both parts of the rocket successfully landed in the sea. Moreover, SpaceX adopted an innovative recycling method such as the " chopstick " type, which used the robotic arm on the launch tower to accurately recover the rocket. This technology was a global leader. Although China's rocket recycling technology was constantly developing and progressing, such as achieving results in vertical take-off and landing, reuse flight, etc., it was still relatively backward in terms of overall technological maturity and innovation. In terms of commercial application scale, SpaceX's development in rocket recycling and reuse had greatly reduced its rocket launch costs. It had also carried out a large number of commercial launch missions and successfully launched more than 800 satellites, occupying a certain market share and promoting the development of the space business. China's recoverable rocket technology was estimated to be available for commercial use in 2025. Although it was expected to reduce launch costs in the future, it had not yet reached the level of large-scale commercial application. However, China's rocket recycling technology was developing rapidly. Many companies were actively participating in the research and development of recycled rockets and were gradually narrowing the gap with SpaceX. The novel " Hundred Years of Spaceship " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
SpaceX Starship Rocket Explodes
SpaceX's starship rockets had exploded several times during the test. For example, on May 29,2020, the prototype of the Starship spacecraft, SSN4, exploded while testing its engine in Texas, USA. On February 2,2021 (local time), the prototype of the starship, SSN9, exploded on the ground during the test flight. On April 20,2023, the first test flight of the Starship rocket and spacecraft integrated system exploded shortly after lift-off. The rocket engine malfunctioned and the first-stage thruster did not separate from the spacecraft above. On November 18,2023, SpaceX carried out the second test flight of the Starship rocket. Although the first and second stages of the rocket were successfully separated less than three minutes after the launch, the mission control center lost contact with the Starship spacecraft and was forced to activate the self-destruct system. On March 14,2023, the Starship rocket and spacecraft integrated system carried out the third test flight. The second stage of the Starship lost contact during the atmospheric re-entry phase. However, on June 6, 2024, the starship successfully landed in the Indian Ocean. The novel "Hundred Years of Spaceship" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
What are the features of the SpaceX rocket cartoon black and white outline?
The outline might focus on the sleek shape and distinct components of the rocket. Maybe it highlights the engines, fins, and payload section in a simple yet striking way.
China's moon rocket
The rocket used by China to land on the moon was the Long March 10. The Long March 10 launch vehicle adopted a new generation of launch vehicle module design. It could be assembled like building blocks, making it more efficient, flexible, and cost-effective. It was equivalent to three Long March 5 cores tied together. Each core stage had three combinations connected in parallel. Each combination had seven engines, and each engine had a thrust of nearly 120 tons. The low-Earth orbit carrying capacity was about 70 tons, and the transfer orbit carrying capacity from Earth to the Moon was about 27 tons. It was expected to carry three people to the moon in 2030. The successful launch of the Long March 12 rocket was also a breakthrough point for China's manned moon landing. The YF -100K engine was the main force in the Long March 12 launch. The YF -100K was an upgraded version of the YF - 100 kerosene liquid oxygen engine. The YF -100K engine had a sea level thrust of about 128 tons (1250 kilonewtons) and a sea level specific impulse of 301.84 seconds. The YF -100K would also provide power for the first stage of the Long March 10 rocket. This showed that one of the main engines of the Long March 10 was fully operational and could push China's manned moon landing. The novel "Hundred Years of Spaceship" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
China's Most Advanced Rocket Engine
China had many advanced rocket engines. In terms of solid rocket engines, the integrated solid rocket engine with a diameter of 3.5 meters, a charge of 150 tons, and a thrust of 500 tons successfully tested in 2021 reached the world's leading level. In the field of liquid rocket engines, the YF - 100 was a new generation of rocket engines independently developed by the Sixth Research Institute of the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It used liquid oxygen and kerosene as fuel. The maximum thrust on the ground was 122.37 tons, and the maximum thrust in vacuum was 136.68 tons. There was also the YF -100K engine that was successfully tested on the Long March 10 sub-stage power system in June 2024. When three YF -100K engines were ignited at the same time, the ground thrust reached 382 tons. This engine was also applied to the Long March 12 rocket. In addition, the three-stage liquid-hydrogen liquid-oxygen engine of the new generation of manned launch vehicles that would be used for manned moon landings in the future had completed long-range tests in high-altitude simulated environments, verifying the feasibility of long-term operation in space. This also represented China's advanced achievements in liquid-hydrogen liquid-oxygen engines. The three liquid rocket engines, YF - 1002 engine, YF -102V engine and YF - 209 liquid oxygen methane engine tailored for commercial aerospace, released on April 22,2023 also reflected China's strength in the development of liquid rocket engines. The novel " Hundred Years of Spaceship " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
China's first moon landing rocket
China's Long March 10 was a new generation of manned launch vehicles. It was a newly developed rocket for launching a new generation of manned spacecraft and lunar lander. It would help China achieve the goal of landing a man on the moon by 2030. It could be regarded as China's first rocket for landing a man on the moon. The novel " Hundred Years of Spaceship " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
History of China Rocket Development
There were many rocket names in the history of China's rocket development. In ancient times, there were rockets that were used in military wars in the early days. For example, during the Three Kingdoms period, there were rockets that were tied to the arrowheads with cloth soaked in oil. In the Song Dynasty, there were rockets that were tied to the arrowheads with gunpowder. In the development of modern China rockets, there were the famous Long March series of launch vehicles, such as the Long March 2F rocket that carried out the Shenzhou 17 mission. There was also the rocket that sent China's first man-made satellite,"Dongfanghong-1," into space, and the "Long March-3" carrier rocket that sent the US-made Asia-1 communication satellite into a predetermined orbit. In addition, the launch of the Shenzhou series of spacecraft also relied on related rocket technology, such as the launch rocket of the Shenzhou-1 spacecraft. The successful launch of these spacecraft reflected the development and maturity of rocket technology. The novel " Hundred Years of Spaceship " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
China's most advanced rocket is the Long March
The Long March 9 was currently a very advanced rocket. The latest design of the Long March 9 would be established at the end of 2024 and was expected to achieve its first flight in 2032. It had a diameter of 10.6 meters and a height of 110 meters, and it did not require a propeller. However, the evaluation criteria for " advanced " might involve many aspects, such as carrying capacity, technological innovation, etc. The other rockets of the Long March series also had their own unique advantages and advancements. For example, the Long March 12 launch vehicle successfully flew for the first time on the evening of November 30,2024. It was developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It was the first in the Long March series to have a 4-meter arrow body diameter, achieving a large diameter and large thrust, which was conducive to the high performance of the rocket. It could also adapt to the fairing of different diameter structures according to the mission requirements, supporting single-star and multi-star launch in different orbits, and opening up new technologies, industries, and models for commercial rockets in China. A new chapter in the development of a new industry. The novel " Hundred Years of Spaceship " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
SpaceX's seventh test flight
SpaceX's Starship V2 was scheduled for its seventh test flight on January 11, 2025. Currently, the super-heavy booster Booster 14 of the starship had been erected on the launch pad, ready for the static ignition test. The first S33 rocket completed its test last month and was expected to be used as a second-stage part of the B14 super-heavy thruster for this test flight mission. The new generation of starship S33 had a number of significant changes, such as a shorter (3 sections instead of 5 sections) payloads compartment to free up more space for oxidiser and fuel; the use of new front flap, new heat shield/tile layout; by placing the Pez splitter part in the fairing, the Pez splitter was installed after the fairing and payloads compartment were stacked to improve space utilization; each Raptor vacuum engine had three independent downcomer tubes. These design improvements solved the problems of the existing models, bringing more powerful functions and higher efficiency. The main goal of this test flight was to fully verify the performance data of the new generation of starships to lay the foundation for future space exploration. This event attracted widespread attention from space enthusiasts and the scientific community around the world. The novel "Hundred Years of Spaceship" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Did China launch a rocket today?
As of 18:37:31 on November 13,2024, today (November 13,2024), the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft and the Long March-7 Yao-9 launch vehicle combination were vertically transported to the launch area. It had not yet been launched and was planned to launch in the near future. There was no record of a successful rocket launch today. The novel "Hundred Years of Spaceship" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
SpaceX Interstellar Spaceship
The SpaceX spacecraft had a diameter of 9 meters, a height of 50 meters, and a total height of 120 meters (including super-heavy boosters). It was the tallest and heaviest rocket in the world, with a total weight of 5000 tons (including super-heavy boosters weighing 3600 tons and starships weighing 1300 tons). It could send at least 150 tons of payloads into Earth orbit. The novel "Hundred Years of Spaceship" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!