China is one step closer to taking Taikonauts to the Moon after a successful test of its Long March 10 reusable rocket and the Mengzhou spacecraft’s abort and landing system. Stage separation went without a hitch at the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure (Max-Q), and both the unmanned capsule and the reusable first-stage rocket returned to Earth successfully.
With the United States and China both planning manned excursions on the Moon before the end of the decade, there’s a palpable feeling of a 21st-century space race. With talk of setting up reactors and more permanent facilities on the lunar surface, there’s a chance that whoever gets their first might secure the best spot, giving the «winning» country a measure of agency.
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), this launch «marks a significant breakthrough in the development of [China’s] manned lunar exploration program» (via Ars Technica). Although it will still need to secure the Mengzhou spacecraft and the Long March 10 for human-rated flight, the success of this mission showcases many of the key technologies required for a future launch to the Moon.
«The flight test further evaluated several key technologies, including the reliability of multiple engine restarts and high-altitude ignition during the rocket’s reentry phase, adaptability to complex force and thermal environments, and high-precision navigation control during the reentry phase,» said the China Aerospace and Science Technology Corporation (CASC).
A Long March-10 carrier rocket blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site.
A Long March-10 carrier rocket blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site. Credit: VCG/Getty Images
In this test, the Long March 10 launched the Mengzhou spacecraft into the stratosphere, and while it was under Max-Q, the abort sequence was triggered. This sent the Mengzhou jetting away from the Long March to simulate a rocket failure and the need to get the Taikonauts to safety. There, the Mengzhou parachuted to a splashdown in the ocean.
The Long March rocket continued on, however, breaking out of Earth’s atmosphere on a sub-orbital trajectory. When it re-entered the atmosphere, it re-ignited its engines and used them to gently land it in the South China Sea near a recovery barge. It’s not quite a Starship chopsticks catch, or even a Falcon 9 barge touchdown, but it’s a clear demonstration of reusability and reignited engine control.
China has an orbital test for the Mengzhou spacecraft planned for later this year. There, it will launch on a Long March 10A with a single reusable first-stage booster, before docking with China’s Tiangong space station in orbit.