A Gravity-1 Y1 carrier rocket was launched on Jan 11, 2024, from waters off the coast of Haiyang, East China's Shandong Province, sending three Yunyao 1 satellites into preset orbit.
It is the world's largest solid-propellant launch vehicle and the country's first commercial rocket equipped with strap-on boosters, as well as the first of its kind to be launched from the sea.
A Gravity-1 Y1 carrier rocket, carrying three Yunyao 1 satellites, is launched from waters off the coast of Haiyang, East China's Shandong Province, on Jan 11, 2024. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
All the vehicle's seven large-thrust solid-propellant engines were provided by the Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The rocket's boosters and core stages have a diameter of 2.6 meters and the materials and structures of the engines are highly mature with good performance. Technologies like a carbon fiber shell, medium energy propellant and a thrust vectoring nozzle were adopted during development of the engines.
The company has developed various types of solid propellant engines with diameters of 1.2, 2, 2.6 and 3.5 meters, meeting needs of different kinds of carrier rockets.
Faced with increasing satellite launch missions, the company is now working on research and development of a 500-metric-ton thrust integral solid-propellant engine, aiming to provide users with flexible, economical and reliable launch service.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
