China has completed the first thrust system test for the Long March-10 rocket, which will be used to send Chinese astronauts to the Moon by 2030.
According to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the state-owned rocket developer, three YF-100K engines for the first stage of the rocket were simultaneously activated during the test on June 14 in Fengtai District, Beijing.
CALT stated that the engines produced a combined thrust of 382 tons for several minutes, “with normal ignition, stable operation, and shutdown on schedule.”
China’s Long March-10 rocket passes its first thrust system test. (Photo: CCTV).
The research institute added that the development of the rocket has entered a “critical phase” for large-scale system-level testing, aiming for its first flight.
Standing 92.5 meters tall, the Long March-10 is a super-heavy three-stage rocket that burns kerosene and liquid oxygen.
Its first stage is 5 meters wide and equipped with seven YF-100K engines. Along with two boosters, each booster also contains seven YF-100K engines, capable of generating an enormous thrust of 2,678 tons at liftoff.
The rocket can carry at least 27 tons to a trans-lunar injection orbit, approximately three times the capacity of the Long March-5, China’s most powerful rocket to date.
For China’s plan to send humans to the Moon, the Long March-10 will carry out two launch missions, one to send the Mengzhou spacecraft into lunar orbit, and the second to launch the Lanyue lunar lander.
Subsequently, these two spacecraft will rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit. Two astronauts from the Mengzhou will transfer to the Lanyue lander.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, after the lander touches down on the lunar surface, the astronauts will drive a rover to conduct scientific investigations and collect rock samples.
CCTV further reported that after completing their mission, the astronauts will return to the Lanyue lander and leave the Moon. They will then dock with the Mengzhou in lunar orbit and return to Earth with the collected samples. This information was released in July 2023 following a successful YF-100K engine test.
“The test on June 14 verified several advanced technologies that we can now confidently use for upcoming flight missions,” said engineer Wang Qingwei from CALT.
Xu Hongping, a colleague of Wang, added: “The test has boosted our morale and provided valuable insights for us to complete the next tests and flights.”
China is researching other critical components of its lunar landing plan, such as crewed spacecraft, lunar landers, rovers, and lunar landing suits.
Prototypes of these components are currently in production, and China aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
