China's Space Program News Thread

[by78]

 

[by78]

 

[by78]

By the way, the LM-6A was launched from China's first smart, adaptable launch pad. The pad is designed to launch seven different models of carrier rockets, including LM-2, LM-4, and LM-6. Much of the pre-launch work – such as fueling – is now automated. Previously, ground staff are evacuated only 15 minutes before launch, now they are evacuated four hours before launch to a bunker two kilometers way, from where they remotely control and monitor pre-launch work.

 

[RCBarbosa]

Do we know the designation of the new launch complex?

 

[taxiya]

Do we know the designation of the new launch complex?

What do you mean by complex? It is the old Taiyuan site, a new launch pad.

 

[taxiya]

To be more precise, this rocket is officially called 长征六号改(Chángzhēng-lìu hào Gǎi, CZ-6 Modified or Improved) but not 长征六号甲(Chángzhēng-lìu hào Jiǎ).

In Chinese, also used by CNSA formally, '甲'(Jiǎ) is the equivalent of 'A' or '1st' in English when naming rocket subtypes, and '改'(Gǎi, abbreviation for the word 改进gǎi jìn) is the equivalent of 'modified' or 'improved'.

I think maybe the difference is that 'A' or 'B' or so are for the rocket subtypes which share the basic architecture with the protptype and has just been slightly improved, while 'G' or 'M' are for the ones sharing the same technology but with diffrernt architecture.

CZ-6's first stage has only one YF-100 kerosene/LOX engine, and the second stage is 2.25m diameter with one 18t YF-115 engine. CZ-6G's first stage has two YF-100s and the second stage diametered 3.35m and also has one YF-115 engine.

The CZ-6 is designed to be horizontally assembled and tested and errected with TEL vehicle while the CZ-6G is vertically assembled and tested at the launch site.

They shared the same kerosene/LOX engine series YF-100/115 but with different engine numbers and stage diameter configurations and assembling methods. So they are more different from each others than the CZ-2/3/4 series.

No, the official designation is 长征六号甲 as it is painted as CZ-6A on the rocket. 改(Gai) was the temporary designation before official launch. The same applies to CZ-7A which was also called CZ-7G during development.

 

[RCBarbosa]

What do you mean by complex? It is the old Taiyuan site, a new launch pad.

No, the launch pad.

 

[taxiya]

The efficiency of a rocket is not good. 540t for 4-ton payload into 700km SSO: not great mass ratio

China's rockets' capacity/mass ratio are worse than US and Russia, that is well known. It should not surprise anybody.

However, I hope you are not comparing this SSO with LEO ratio of other rockets. Besides, other liquid + SRB rocket uses LH2, CZ-6A uses Kerosene, so it is natural that it has worse ratio.

 

[taxiya]

No, the launch pad.

ok, it is a new pad. Its construction was reported in this thread some months ago.

 

[taxiya]

I don't know 4t to SSO is the capability for which configuration.

Correction: In the report I quoted in Chinese, it said '700公里太阳同步轨道运载能力不小于4吨' (not less than 4 tons payload for 700km SSO orbit injection), not 4t max.

And also, SSO capability is always much less than LEO capability, maybe 40%-50%.

It is slightly less than 4.5t, close to CZ-8.