On April 14th, according to the official WeChat account of the "Aerospace Science and Technology Group," China's independently developed 130-ton-class reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine recently successfully completed two ground ignition tests.
After rigorous testing, the engine has completed a total of 15 consecutive tests and 30 ignition starts, with a total test duration exceeding 3900 seconds. This data not only refreshes the record of the number of tests of Chinese liquid rocket main engines but also lays a solid foundation for the maiden flight of China's reusable launch vehicle in the future.
Compared to traditional expendable rockets, the development of reusable rockets involves breakthroughs in multiple key technologies, including "accurate landing," "stable docking," "durability," and "rapid refurbishment." Among these technologies, the development of reusable engines is undoubtedly a top priority.
One of the core functions of reusable rockets is that they can not only send spacecraft into space but also return safely to Earth after completing their mission, and be prepared for reuse. This process consists of two phases: on one hand, the rocket needs to land precisely on Earth after completing its mission, involving a gliding process and reignition when approaching the ground to ensure a stable landing; on the other hand, after returning to the ground, the rocket can quickly resume its status after simple repair and maintenance, ready for another launch mission.
To achieve this functionality of reusable rockets, the engine development team has put tremendous effort into various aspects such as research and design, manufacturing, and testing. They continuously overcome technical challenges, optimize design schemes, improve production quality, and strictly control the testing process, injecting strong impetus into the progress of China's reusable rocket engine development.
