China tries to control the fall of its rockets

The CZ-4B takes off on November 2nd

For the second time this year, a "classic" Chinese launcher was equipped with stabilization grids to be directed, after its mission, and to avoid falling back on inhabited areas. A hot topic as takeoffs multiply.

By operating launch sites inland to send its satellites into orbit, China is facing a growing problem: the different elements of the rocket, ejected as and biting a satellite sometimes fall back into inhabited areas. This situation is especially evident in two of the four Chinese bases in Xichang and Taiyuan. Also, faced with the increase in the number of satellite launches, and local actors of the "NewSpace", China must find new solutions to avoid a tragedy: despite the warnings, evacuations and warning messages, the rocket stages and their very toxic fuels are often filmed by people in these rural areas, crashing into gardens, barns, and even housing complexes.

Redirect floors to avoid the crowds

Difficult, moreover, to change all the practices to relocate the launchers on the site of Wenchang, at the edge of the sea ... So why not use some of the techniques of rocket recovery?

Stabilization gates or ailerons, popularized with Falcon 9 (SpaceX) but used on many missiles and launchers for 60 years (there are, for example, on each Soyuz capsule launcher) can provide a solution for Chinese launchers, and kill two birds with one stone: learn more about the recovery of the launcher stages, but also, and most importantly, direct the stages as they pass through the atmosphere, to bring them precisely into safe areas for them. populations.

A first test was conducted this year with a CZ-2D rocket on July 26th. This time, this November 2nd, it is on a CZ-4B (Long March 4B), which took off since Taiyuan, that this test took place, which suggests that China could generalize this process ... Attention, however, both generations of tested launchers use the same first floor, so this is a common project. The landing, or rather the controlled crash of the floor was also monitored by the authorities of the country.

A long way to safety ...

There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that this method is widespread and that the inhabitants of the areas concerned no longer live with this sword of Damocles over their heads (especially since other launchers also fall back, like the headdresses, inter-floors, etc.). China, the country that had the most rockets take off in orbit in 2019 with 24 shots on November 5, continues to grow with or without the protection of populations.

Chinese manufacturers are also pursuing launchers projects on reusable stages on several types of light rockets (CZ-6A) or larger (CZ-8).

Source: Space News