China is shooting for the moon—literally! 🌕 On Friday, a brand-new rocket engine system for China's future lunar missions aced its ground test, bringing the nation one giant leap closer to establishing a research base on the moon by 2030. 🚀
This cutting-edge system packs three YF-100K engines and is set to power the first stage of the mighty Long March-10 rocket. Standing tall at 92.5 meters (that's like stacking 30-story buildings!), this three-and-a-half-stage rocket is designed to haul over 27 tonnes of payload to the Earth-to-moon transfer orbit. Talk about heavy lifting! 💪
Compared to its predecessor, the Long March-5—which is currently ferrying over 8 tonnes to the moon on the ongoing Chang'e-6 mission—the Long March-10 is a total game-changer. It's like upgrading from a scooter to a supercar! 🏎️
According to a report from China Media Group (CMG), this wasn't just any test—it was the biggest engine test ever for a Chinese rocket in development! During the trial, the engines roared with a ground thrust of 382 tonnes, which is a whopping 1.6 times more powerful than previous tests. That's some serious firepower! 🔥
And the Long March-10 doesn't stop there. At liftoff, it'll weigh around 2,189 tonnes and boast a thrust of 2,678 tonnes to blast heavier payloads to the moon. 🚀✨
What's next on the horizon? The team is gearing up for a second ground test of the first-stage propulsion system, scheduled to take place soon. Stay tuned, space fans—the moon is about to get a little closer! 🌌
Reference(s):
China's moon missions: New rocket engine system passes ground test
cgtn.com
