China's reusable rocket has successfully carried out key flight tests of vertical take-off and landing
On January 19, a reporter from the Global Times learned from the Chinese commercial aerospace company Blue Arrow Aerospace that at about 4 p.m. on the same day, the VTVL-1 test arrow, which was used to verify the vertical return technology of the Blue Arrow Aerospace Suzaku 3 large reusable rocket, was ignited at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. After the rocket flies in the air for about 60 seconds and reaches an altitude of 320 meters, it lands smoothly and accurately by adjusting the variable thrust engine. The vertical recovery flight test was a complete success.
The VTVL-1 test arrow, which was used to verify the vertical return technology of the large reusable rocket of the Blue Arrow Aerospace Suzaku 3, was ignited and lifted off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Image source: Blue Arrow Aerospace
The VTVL-1 test rocket is a flight test platform to verify the key technology of vertical return of a substage of the Suzaku 3 large liquid oxygen methane reusable launch vehicle. The VTVL-1 test rocket is a single-stage liquid oxygen methane rocket with a diameter of 3.35 meters and a length of 18.3 meters. The take-off weight is about 50.3 tons, and the maximum take-off weight can reach 68 tons, which is also the largest vertical take-off and landing test arrow in China.
VTVL-1 test arrow used to validate the vertical return technology of the Suzaku 3 large reusable rocket Image source: Blue Arrow Aerospace
It is understood that this type of test arrow is equipped with an improved Suzaku No. 2 rocket 80-ton liquid oxygen methane engine. Previously, the 80-ton liquid oxygen methane engine of the Suzaku 2 rocket has continuously successfully achieved orbit flight verification and successfully sent three satellites into the scheduled orbit. This improved 80-ton liquid oxygen methane engine has further improved its thrust, performance and reliability, and has increased the functions of multiple starts in the air and deep variable thrust in response to the needs of reusable rockets, with orthogonal double pendulum and 50%~110% variable thrust adjustment capabilities. The cumulative time of ground test verification of this series of engines has been close to 100,000 seconds, and in the future, this type of engine will be applied to the subsequent batch of Suzaku 2 and the reusable Suzaku 3 launch vehicle.
The VTVL-1 test arrow is ready to go Image source: Blue Arrow Aerospace
In addition, the VTVL-1 test arrow is also equipped with three sets of landing legs with two-stage buffer function, and the radius of the three sets of recovery legs can reach 11.6 meters after deployment, which can meet the buffer requirements of the Suzaku 3 reusable sub-stage 40-ton landing mass. In this mission, the test arrow was in good condition after recovery and landing, which also fully verified the cushioning performance and stability of the landing legs. The successful application of this technology provides a strong guarantee for the future recovery of the Suzaku 3 rocket on land and even at sea.
The VTVL-1 test arrow is also equipped with three sets of landing legs with two-stage cushioning function Image source: Blue Arrow Aerospace
Previously, Continental's commercial space company has carried out several flight tests related to rocket vertical recovery, including flight tests using turbojet engines to simulate the operation of variable-thrust liquid rockets, as well as full-scale vertical take-off and landing and reusable flight tests of a substage. Compared with the past, what is the difference between this test? The relevant staff of Blue Arrow Aerospace told the "Global Times" reporter that unlike the previous demonstration and verification carried out by the small tonnage principle prototype in China, this test is an important part of the development of the Blue Arrow Aerospace recovery and reuse rocket project, and the test uses an engineering prototype built with a full-scale engine. In terms of innovative technology application, the high-strength stainless steel tank used in the VTVL-1 test arrow, the 80-ton variable thrust engine that can be started multiple times, the vertical recovery navigation guidance and control technology, the recovery landing buffer technology, and the ground integrated tracking and control system are all key technologies for the Suzaku 3 reusable rocket.
However, relevant researchers also said that the success of the test is still some distance from the full realization of reusable vertical recovery of rockets. Dai Zheng, commander-in-chief of Suzaku III, said in an interview with the Global Times that the current test only verifies the vertical recovery capability of the rocket at low altitude and low speed, verifies the matching of the control system and the thrust adjustment performance of the engine, and preliminarily verifies the guidance and control algorithm of the vertical recovery of the rocket.
"Later, the whole process of vertical recovery and re-entry is verified by the launch vehicle in orbit after the separation of the first and second stages, the first stage at an altitude of 100 kilometers and the high-speed state after the separation of the first and second stages. The flight duration will be longer and closer to the actual flight conditions. If the relevant tests can be carried out smoothly as planned, Suzaku 3 is expected to complete its first flight in 2025 and realize the recovery of the first-stage rocket body. Dai Zheng said.