China’s reusable carrier rocket successfully completed a 10-km vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flight test at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Sunday. This significant achievement marks the largest VTOL flight test conducted by China for a reusable carrier rocket. It is also the first time China has applied its domestically developed deep variable-thrust liquid oxygen-methane (LOX/Methane) engine in a 10-km return flight.
Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the rocket has a 3.8-meter diameter and is powered by three 70-tonne LOX/Methane engines. The rocket is equipped with a full-size landing buffer system. The test demonstrated the rocket’s ability to achieve a vertical soft landing at a fixed point, completing the entire sequence of take-off, ascent, and variable-thrust descent successfully.
This test verified several critical technologies, including:
- VTOL Configuration: Ensuring the rocket can vertically take off and land.
- Heavy-Load Landing Buffer Technology: Safely absorbing the impact of landing.
- Reusable Propulsion Technology: Featuring high and strong variable thrust capabilities.
- High-Precision Landing Navigation and Control Technology: Ensuring accurate landing at the designated point.
This successful test lays the technical groundwork for the maiden flight of a four-meter class reusable carrier rocket, planned for 2025. The VTOL capability is designed to make the rocket’s first stage reusable, enhancing launch efficiency and reducing spaceflight costs. This innovation aligns with global trends in space exploration aimed at creating more sustainable and cost-effective launch systems.
