China Unveils Largest Composite Propulsion Module for Reusable Launch Vehicles

Source | Wang Bing, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT, Beijing, China) has produced its first 5-meter-diameter composite propulsion cabin. This power module is the largest single-piece composite structure produced in China for reusable launch vehicle applications.

The module uses more than 60% composite materials, with a lightweight structure featuring wall panels capable of withstanding thousands of tons of axial pressure loads, and also features an adaptive adjustment interface.

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This structure was completed in just 7 months from design to product delivery. CALT reports that the R&D team adopted a highly parallel and collaborative approach in the development of the power compartment structure, overcoming challenges such as high-precision and high-quality manufacturing of this new large-size composite structure.

This achievement plays a vital role in promoting the high-quality development of China's aerospace industry, says Wang Guohui, party secretary of the CALT. He expects the success of subsequent flight missions, and emphasized that, based on previous work, the team should stay focused on the goals, accelerate the progress of subsequent missions, push the technological level to a new level, and continue to take effective measures to steadily achieve large-scale production.

The original source, a posting from CALT, is available from SAMPE China.

This post is courtesy of the CompositesWorld and SAMPE China Insights media partnership.