China closes in on deep space ambitions with latest rocket engine test
- Researchers have completed an essential step in the development of its next generation engine for the Long March 9 rocket
- Experiments confirm the engine’s suitability for complex space missions, including crewed moon landings and deeper space exploration
Two experiments earlier this month verified the design of the rocket engine’s thrust chamber, confirming its suitability for complex space missions. The research team can now move on to test the engine’s whole system thermal performance, the report said.
When complete, the engine will be the most powerful of its kind. It is intended for China’s next generation super heavy-lift Long March 9 – also known as the CZ-9 – rocket which one day will carry a crew to the moon.
“[This engine] can restart multiple times with a wide range of variable thrust adjustments. It can be used for complex space missions such as manned lunar landings, manned Mars landings and deep space exploration,” the report said.
The China National Space Agency (CNSA) has said it aims to land humans on the moon by 2030, and to set up a joint lunar station with Russia in around 2035. The CNSA also has plans to retrieve samples from Mars and expand exploration to other planets and deeper space.
China’s rocket capabilities have been a bottleneck to these ambitions, with difficulties in the development of its earlier CZ-5 series delaying some missions for nearly two years.