BREMEN, Germany — China has taken another step toward its crewed lunar goals by successfully testing fairing separation for its Long March 10 moon rocket series.
The fairing separation test was conducted recently, according to a Nov. 20 statement from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). CALT is a major rocket developer under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the countryâ€s main space contractor.
A short clip of the separation test shows the 5.0-meter-diameter, 5.0-meter-high fairing—which is designed to protect spacecraft from the atmosphere during ascent—falling away to reveal a structural test article.
The test evaluated the fairing design, connection structure, separation plan, and maximum available envelope, according to CALT. All parameters tested met their design requirements.Â
The fairing is not in a conical, nose cone-like shape, as with typical fairing for spacecraft. This is due to the Long March 10 series being designed to launch a new generation crew spacecraft. This will include an escape tower and the return module may be exposed at the tip of the launcher. The fairing is thus similar in shape to that used for the Orion spacecraft. CALT plans static and joint vibration tests in the future.
The separation test is one of a number of milestones needed in order to get the Long March 10 ready for flight, with a first launch currently targeted for 2026. That will be a single-stick rocket capable of carrying the new spacecraft—capable of carrying 4-7 astronauts—to the Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit.
A further variant of the Long March 10 will come with two further first stages added as side boosters and will be used to launch astronauts in the “Mengzhou†lunar configuration of the new generation spacecraft and a lunar lander stack, named Lanyue, to the moon. This will require two separate Long March 10 launches. A separate fairing for launches of Lanyue is likely being prepared.
China has committed to the goal of getting a pair of its astronauts onto the lunar surface by 2030.
The Long March 10A for low Earth orbit will be capable of lifting 14,200 kilograms to LEO when recovering the first stage. The Long March 10 lunar variant will be 92 meters long and be able to launch 27 tons into trans-lunar orbit.
CALT performed a successful static fire test of a Long March 10A first stage test article in June. The test article had three YF-100K kerosene-liquid oxygen engines installed across its 5.0-meter diameter. A full Long March 10 first stage will be powered by seven such engines.
The Long March 10 builds on the Long March 5, currently Chinaâ€s largest and most powerful rocket. The Long March 10 is however designed to be much more capable and make crewed lunar missions possible.
