Beijing News (reporter Zhang Jianlin) Recently, the four-stage solid carrier rocket Jielong Iii, which is developed by China Long March Rocket Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, successfully completed the static force and separation test of the fairing. On August 11, the reporter learned from the China Rocket Company that the success of this test marked the successful conclusion of the large-scale ground test in the Jielong-3 rocket engineering stage and the full transfer to the first flight test stage.
The separation test of Jielong No. 3 fairing was a complete success. Source: China Rocket Company, a first academy of aerospace science and technology group
As the rocket ascends into space, the fairing is like armor, protecting payloads such as satellites from extreme environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, sound, and vibration. At present, the Jielong No. 3 fairing is the fairing with the largest envelope space used by domestic solid rockets. The test fully verified the rocket fairing design scheme, process scheme, quality reliability, and maximum available envelope.
It is understood that the fairing static test conducted this time is mainly used to verify the structural strength and stiffness of the fairing, verify the correctness of the design scheme, assess the reliability of the material, size, connection method and other elements of the main bearing component, and check the separation calculation model of the Jielong No. 3 fairing; The fairing separation test verified the adaptability of the fairing to the maximum envelope of the satellite and determined the maximum available envelope of the fairing.
Dr. Gao Lijun, head of the Jielong-3 fairing separation test, introduced that in order to ensure that the satellite protection is in place during the docking process of the star arrow, the team has maximized the collision hazard point envelope treatment of the simulated satellite in the fairing separation test, and the fairing has fully considered the environmental protection of the satellite in the design, and all the separation devices use mature products that have been verified by the long march series of carrier rockets, and will not affect the satellite in the separation and unlocking process.
Fairing separation test site. Source: China Rocket Company, a first academy of aerospace science and technology group
In addition, the main structure of the fairing adopts honeycomb sandwich material, which can quickly attenuate noise and impact, providing a good mechanical environment for the satellite. And in the design of the fairing, there are special environmental support equipment and environmental monitoring equipment interfaces to ensure that it can be monitored at any time to meet the temperature, humidity and cleanliness requirements of the satellite.
For commercial launch vehicles, under the premise of "safety and comfort" of the fairing, it is also necessary to have the largest possible envelope space in order to improve the adaptability of the payload, carry more "passengers", and thus improve the adaptability and efficiency of the launch mission.
The reporter learned that although the fairing of the Jielong III rocket borrowed from the mature products and technologies of the Long March series of carrier rockets, the separation scheme, energy configuration and specific structure of the fairing were redesigned in the specific development process, and in order to adapt to the transition from the three-stage arrow body 2.0m diameter to the 3.35m diameter, the inverted cone section of the fairing was redesigned in order to obtain better aerodynamic characteristics.
Factors such as the movement of the fairing during rocket flight, the deformation in the separation, etc., will affect the size of the available envelope space of the fairing. Therefore, the team worked with a number of professional members such as structure, load and separation in the early stage, and finally obtained the maximum theoretically available envelope by conducting three-dimensional motion analysis, coupling analysis of satellites and rockets, and analysis of internal protrusions. Through digital analysis and testing, the available envelope space of the "inverted cone segment" in the fairing was excavated for the first time, and the maximum envelope of the fairing was obtained.
The designer confirms the relevant technical status. Source: China Rocket Company, a first academy of aerospace science and technology group
According to reports, the follow-up development team will also complete the full arrow zero-second modal test, factory test and arrow-ground joint training, etc., work together to overcome each challenge, make sufficient preparations, and fight the last battle before the first flight.
Edited by Fan Yijing
Proofreading Li Lijun