Chinese rocket gets parachute system to help guide boosters back to Earth
- It was used on a Long March 3B carrying a meteorological satellite into orbit on Friday
- Parachutes and parafoil control altitude and direction to reduce size of estimated landing area
China has equipped its Long March 3B rocket with a new parachute system aimed at giving more control over where boosters land.
The new system was used on a rocket carrying a meteorological satellite into orbit on Friday, the state-run China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology said in a statement on WeChat on Monday.
It is designed to bring down boosters in more targeted locations after they have separated from the rocket, said the academy, which developed the system with the China Academy of Space Technology.
Once a rocket booster is at a certain height, the system – comprising two parachutes and a 300 sq metre parafoil – opens in a sequence to control its altitude and direction.
The academy said that the system should reduce the size of the estimated landing area by 70 per cent, making it more targeted, and that it also meant the space debris could be more easily located.
Hu Wei, deputy chief engineer of the Long March 3B, said a smaller debris zone would mean less uncertainty and potential disruption to populated areas on land.