China News Service, Shanghai, August 10th: Interpretation of the seven-year growth history of "Long March 6": 9 launches, "stars master"

  Author Zheng Yingying Ma Shuaisha

  Since its maiden flight in 2015, the Long March-6 carrier rocket has been "on duty" for seven years.

On August 10, Beijing time, it was launched at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

"Passenger" many challenges

  According to the data, the development of the Long March 6 carrier rocket took 6 years.

In August 2009, the project of this model was officially approved, and this type of rocket was named the new-generation launch vehicle Long March 6.

From the optimization of the overall configuration of the rocket to the determination of the overall layout plan, the "Long March 6" development team has determined a total of 90 key technologies represented by 12 major key technologies.

  The reporter learned from the eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the general developer of the rocket, that this is the ninth launch of the Long March 6 carrier rocket.

This mission carried 16 satellite "passengers" of the Jilin-1 Gaofen 03D09 satellite. The layout design, installation operation, and separation plan of the satellites faced multiple challenges.

  Challenge 1: There are many interfaces.

The number of mechanical and electrical interfaces between the star and the arrow is the largest for this model. The development team has designed a multi-satellite layout bearing tube and a multi-satellite separation control scheme to ensure the matching of the star and the arrow interface.

  Challenge 2: It is difficult to "row seats".

In view of the compact layout of the 16 satellites in the rocket fairing, the staggered space between each other, and the narrow docking installation space, the developers reasonably arranged the docking process of the satellites and the rockets, and avoided risks through measures such as man-machine simulation and docking drills.

  Challenge 3: Separation is difficult.

Due to the high requirements for separation safety of multi-satellite launch and the difficulty of separation design, the model has carried out several multi-satellite separation safety simulation and analysis work, and finally adopted a batch separation scheme. Control the forward thrust of the engine and other measures to ensure the safety of multi-satellite separation and ensure accurate orbit entry.

On August 10, China successfully launched 16 satellites with the Long March 6 Yao-1 carrier rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

The picture shows the rocket development Li Yan Pengfei photo

The strength of "carpooling" talents

  In fact, for the "Long March 6", 16 passengers is not the biggest challenge. After all, seven years ago, on September 20, 2015, it took 20 satellites to space for its first flight. "The opening has been impressive so far.

  Among China's new generation of launch vehicles, the "Long March 6" is also the first rocket to participate in a commercial launch.

On November 21, 2017, the "Long March 6" launched the "Jilin-1" video 04, 05, and 06 satellites into space in a "one arrow three-star" way.

That launch was the second launch of the Long March 6 rocket and the first time China's new-generation liquid launch vehicle participated in a commercial launch.

  On November 6, 2020, the "One Arrow and Ten Three Stars" launch mission of the Long March 6 Yaosan carrier rocket was a complete success. This launch is also the first time that China's new generation of carrier rockets has undertaken an international commercial satellite launch mission with a whole rocket stage. The rocket to the international market is of great significance.

  At the same time, "Long March No. 6" is also a master of commercial "carpooling".

On April 27, 2021, the fifth launch of the Long March-6 carrier rocket successfully sent three main stars including Qilu No. Achieved its first commercial "carpool" launch.

"Carpooling" launch means that a carrier rocket provides launch services for multiple satellites in the form of "grouping".

Compared with the launch form of carrying other satellites with the remaining carrying capacity in addition to meeting the mission of the main satellite, this "carpooling" service can simultaneously meet the launch requirements of multiple satellites of the same type, and has the characteristics of low launch cost and good mission adaptability.

  The "Long March 6" is a cryogenic liquid three-stage carrier rocket with a diameter of 3.35 meters for the first stage and 2.25 meters for the second and third stages.

Although it does not go to space with "a large number of passengers" every time, its "small stature" breeds "big energy", making it a "star transporter" in a new generation of launch vehicles.

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