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Space


Jielong 1 (Smart Dragon)

Jielong 1The Chinese Long March Rockets have a "little brother". At 12:11 on 17 August 2019, the Jielong 1 rocket was successfully launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, sending three satellites into their intended orbits by means of "one arrow and three stars." This was the first flight of the Jetron One rocket. Jielong-1 was developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which is also the developer of China's Long March rocket.

The Jielong 1 rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicles of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group. It is a four-stage solid engine series configuration. The maximum diameter of the rocket is 1.2 meters, the total length is 20 meters, and the total weight is 23 tons. The sun-synchronous orbit with a carrying capacity of 500 kilometers from the ground is no less than 200 kilograms, and strive to achieve an average annual launch capacity of 20 flights, and strive to meet the needs of small satellites, cubic stars, and constellation supplementary networks.

The Jetlong One, which is "out of the same door" with the Long March rocket, will focus on commercial launches in the future. The Jielong One is launched with one vehicle and one arrow, and can be launched quickly within 24 hours after it arrives at the launch site.

Compared with the Long March Rockets "Big Brother", the Jielong One is very small. According to Gong Min, the technical manager of the Jielong No. 1 launch vehicle project, Jielong No. 1 has a total length of 19.5 meters, a body diameter of 1.2 meters, and a take-off weight of about 23.1 tons. It is the smallest and lightest solid rocket in my country (using solid fuel). rocket).

However, the Jielong-1 sparrow is small and has excellent performance. It has the ability to launch a 200 kg payload into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, and has the highest payload ratio among commercial rockets in China. Jielong-1 was developed by China Long March Rocket Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation First Academy (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology), which is the “national team” of China's aerospace industry. It adopts a commercial model and is built for the commercial small satellite launch market. Jielong 1 is also the first commercial launch vehicle of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group. According to Wang Xiaojun, Dean of the First Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group, in the past half a century, the Academy has independently developed 12 different types of Long March series carrier rockets. These rockets have achieved a series of major leaps from one arrow to multiple stars, from launching satellites to launching manned spacecraft and lunar probes, and from active launch vehicles to new generation launch vehicles.

The development of Jielong-1 means that the aerospace "national team" has taken another important step in the field of commercial aerospace.

The Jielong 1 rocket adopts a modular satellite cabin design, which can provide satellites with two types of complete cabin space with a diameter of 1.1 meters/height of 1.5 meters and a diameter of 1.4 meters/height of 2 meters. It can be one stone or one stone. Multi-satellite launch.

Three satellites were launched for the first mission. The main satellite is "Qiancheng-1 01" developed by Beijing Qiancheng Exploration Technology Co., Ltd., and the two carrying satellites are "Star Times-5" satellites jointly developed by Beijing Weina Star Technology Co., Ltd. and Chengdu Guoxing Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. , "Tianqi 2" satellite developed by Beijing Guodian Hi-Tech Technology Co., Ltd.

Among them, the remote sensing camera of the 01 star of Qiancheng-1 was developed by 508 of the Fifth Academy of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group. It weighs less than 11 kilograms, but can obtain images with a resolution of up to 2 meters in a space of more than 500 kilometers. This star has a flexible working mode and strong data acquisition capabilities, and will play an important role in the development of my country's small commercial remote sensing constellations.

Several private rocket companies in my country have entered the commercial rocket launch market. In March 2018, Zero One Space Technology Group Co., Ltd. launched the "Chongqing Two Rivers Star" OS-M carrier rocket, but it failed. In October 2018, the solid carrier rocket "Suzaku One" developed by Beijing Blue Arrow Space Technology Co., Ltd. was launched in Jiuquan. The launch was also unsuccessful.

In July 2019, Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co., Ltd. launched the "Changan Auchan" Hyperbolic One carrier rocket, sending multiple satellites into a predetermined orbit. The Chinese civilian-operated rocket achieved its first success.

The entry of private rocket companies means that China's commercial space launch market is on the rise. According to aerospace expert Pang Zhihao, commercial aerospace launches refer to launches that match supply and demand in the market and operate according to market behavior, while traditional aerospace projects come from national plans.

"Private enterprises hope to reduce the cost of launch services in the market, so that they can win more markets. This is the model of SpaceX in the United States." Pang Zhihao said. In fact, the Long March rocket, which mainly undertakes national missions, has already begun to undertake commercial launch missions. The Long March 2C, Long March 2D, Long March 6, and Long March 11 have all launched payloads from the commercial market. Long March 11 is regarded as the main force of the commercial launch of Long March rockets.

The "Dragon" series of commercial rockets are now on the stage, once again proving that the aerospace "national team" values ??the commercial space launch market. Tang Yagang, president of China Long March Rocket Co., Ltd., said that the commercial launch market is very broad in the future, and the demand for low-orbit Internet mobile communication and remote sensing information and data will both be a large commercial satellite launch market.

At present, the three application directions of satellite communication, navigation and remote sensing have achieved popular applications. With the gradual development of the commercial aerospace industry, aerospace will no longer be mysterious, and aerospace technology will further serve the lives of the people. "China Long March Rocket Company will work with other commercial aerospace companies to jointly form the international competitiveness of China's commercial aerospace." Tang Yagang said.

The development funding comes from social capital financing, which is the world’s lowest cost rocket per load into orbit. The "Dragon" series is another carrier rocket series launched by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation after the "Long March" series, and is also the first "pure commercial" carrier rocket series. Tang Yagang explained that the "pure commercial" model means that the Jielong 1 rocket uses social capital to develop and produce, promote model innovation, and undertake commercial satellite launch tasks for various entities.

This is mainly reflected in two aspects: First, the research and development funding does not come from state funding, but is financed by social capital. Second, in the past, rocket development basically cooperated with mature supporting units in the system, but Jielong One broke the original supporting relationship and selected supporting units with the best cost performance through competition.

"The advantage of this procurement model is that everyone will bring out their best technology and the best price, which will help Quanjian reduce costs and improve performance." Tang Yagang said. Tang Yagang stated that Jielong No. 1 broke tradition and innovated itself during the development process, and boldly tried to apply new technologies, new products, new processes, and new equipment. This has reduced the cost of rocket research and development. The target cost of Jielong-1 can basically reach 30,000 US dollars per kilogram, which is the lowest cost per unit load in the world.

The commercial launch market also requires rapid response capabilities. Since the official launch of the development on February 28, 2018, to the successful first flight, Jielong 1 took less than 18 months, becoming one of the rockets with the shortest development period in China's aerospace development. This depends on Jielong No. 1’s modular and large-scale batch production mode, the manufacturing time is shortened, and the factory can be shipped within 6 months after signing the contract with the user.

In addition, the "Jielong No. 1" has optimized the launch preparation process, adopting the method of launching with one vehicle and one arrow. After arriving at the launch site, it can be launched quickly within 24 hours.

The first success of Jielong-1 meant that the First Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group and its affiliated Chinese Rocket Company had made gratifying progress in exploring the high-quality, high-efficiency, and high-efficiency business model, research and development model, and operation model of commercial launch vehicles. In the next step, China Rocket Corporation will continue to improve the Jielong 1 launch vehicle, and develop the Jielong series of solid commercial launch vehicles and the Tamron series of liquid commercial launch vehicles with greater carrying capacity to cover more market demand; it is expected that there will be more in around 2025 Realize the reusability of liquid commercial launch vehicles, further improve the technical level, reduce launch costs, and promote the high-quality development of the commercial aerospace market.

As the "first arrow" of the "Dragon" series, Jielong One embodies the idea of ??commercial aerospace everywhere. In terms of market positioning, it focuses on the currently active market for verification, networking, and patching of microsatellites under 100 kilograms; In terms of funding investment, China Rocket Company, affiliated to the First Academy, is financing research and development with social capital; in terms of research and development mode, the overall unit of the First Academy is researched and operated by China Rocket Company, with a clear division of internal and external labor, sharing research results and sharing benefits; in terms of technical solutions.

The model team uses technological innovation to reduce costs, improve reliability, and shorten the launch cycle. It has achieved a series of technological breakthroughs in rocket intelligent technology and other fields, creating more than 10 "firsts" in China's launch vehicle technology ; in terms of supplier selection , Breaking down institutional barriers, launching competitive procurement, fully mobilizing social resources, and choosing the best.

The pure business model means that the Jielong 1 rocket uses social capital to develop and produce and promote model innovation. It is mainly reflected in two aspects: one is that the development funding is not derived from state funds, but is financed by social capital; the other is that in the past, the rocket development process basically cooperated with mature supporting units within the system, and this type of rocket broke the original Supporting relationship, through competition, choose the most cost-effective supporting unit to improve performance and reduce costs.

At present, the target cost of the Jielong 1 rocket can basically reach 30,000 US dollars/kg, which is claimed to be the lowest cost per unit load in the world.

The Jielong 1 rocket has the characteristics of "two high and two fast". High reliability. Relying on the strong technical strength of Rocket Academy, the Jielong 1 rocket can effectively control technical risks and improve reliability by borrowing mature models of engines and their design technologies. High cost performance, able to provide higher performance indicators at a lower price. Fast performance. It only takes 6 months from signing the contract to performing the launch, which is much shorter than other active rockets. Fast launch, the rocket can be launched within 24 hours after entering the field.

The Jielong 1 rocket launched this time set 15 firsts

  1. China's smallest-scale commercial launch vehicle. Jielong-1 is China's smallest carrier rocket capable of transporting payloads into orbit. It is small, fast and flexible.
  2. The highest carrying efficiency among China's commercial rockets. Although Jielong-1 is small in scale, it has excellent performance and can achieve a carrying capacity of 200 kilograms in a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. It has the highest carrying efficiency among commercial solid rockets in China.
  3. China's first type of launch vehicle with satellite inverted layout. For the first time in China, the inverted space layout of satellites was used to provide a complete and regular installation space for satellites.
  4. China's first solid launch vehicle to realize the full wave transmission function of the satellite cabin. The shell of the Jielong No. 1 rocket satellite cabin adopts a special sandwich structure, which can effectively meet the full wave transmission requirements of the rocket instrument cabin and the satellite payload wireless equipment.
  5. China's first commercial launch vehicle using liquid propellant pre-packing technology. This technology is similar to pre-filling the mineral water in the bottle instead of filling it at the launch site. Therefore, there is no need to fill the propellant before the launch, which can achieve rapid launch.
  6. The first type of launch vehicle developed using low-cost solid engine development methods. In the early stage of ensuring high reliability, the Jielong 1 rocket implemented the concept of low-cost development, optimized the development process, and shortened the development cycle. Advanced concepts such as unified design of propellant formula and unified design of key components are adopted in the design of the fourth-stage engine, which greatly reduces the development cost.
  7. The first type of launch vehicle in China that adopts the composite control technology based on "flat rudder + RCS". The rocket adopts a composite control method of flat air rudder and RCS, which simplifies the control scheme, reduces the cost of the rocket, and lays the foundation for the verification of the separated sub-stage control technology.
  8. The first type of launch vehicle to achieve mixed control of elastic amplitude and phase with large slenderness ratio. The Jielong 1 rocket has a large slenderness ratio, and the overall structure is like "noodles". It is thin and soft. It adopts elastic amplitude and phase hybrid control technology to achieve stable rocket control and ensure high-precision and stable flight of the rocket.
  9. China's first launch vehicle based on multi-core architecture to carry out flight control software design. Just as the computer will run faster after adopting multi-core processors, the use of multi-core architecture flight control software enables the flight control system to have an independent processor to ensure real-time, efficient, and highly reliable operation of the flight control system.
  10. China's first type of launch vehicle adopting fully exhausted shutdown prediction + correction multi-dimensional energy management iterative guidance method. Using this method, the rocket's flight trajectory can be quickly planned, and the accuracy of its orbit can be improved.
  11. China's first type of launch vehicle that uses real-time Ethernet to realize the integrated design of the bus on the arrow. Using high-speed Ethernet communication, communication efficiency is significantly improved.
  12. China's first type of launch vehicle to achieve a composite thermal control method for integrated electrical products. The single machine on the arrow adopts a highly integrated design, a single machine realizes the functions of full arrow control and telemetry, and the single machine adopts composite integrated thermal control technology to ensure reliable operation of the product.
  13. For the first time in the commercial aerospace field, a deep intelligent data analysis method was used to implement test data interpretation. It can realize multi-dimensional real-time interpretation of data, greatly improving the test efficiency and the accuracy of data analysis.
  14. In the commercial aerospace field, the launch vehicle is the first launch vehicle to achieve hot launch. The use of self-propelled carrier rocket launch vehicles can realize the thermal insulation of key parts such as the transportation process and the satellite cabin before launch, which improves the ability to protect the satellite ground environment.
  15. For the first time in the commercial aerospace field, the capability of autonomous positioning and orientation before launch was realized. It is the first time to realize the reusable automatic aiming capability, providing support for the low-cost and rapid launch of the rocket.

So many firsts have brought a series of challenges to rocket development. The R&D team breaks the tradition, innovates itself, boldly tries to apply new technologies, new products, new processes, and new supporting facilities, actively promotes technological innovation and model innovation, and achieves "low cost, high reliability, modularization, industrialization, low security, and easy Maintenance" design requirements. Since the start of the development work in February 2018 and the first flight today, the Jielong 1 rocket took less than 18 months and became one of the rockets with the shortest development period in China's aerospace development. According to the plan, the Jielong 1 rocket will implement a "three-step" strategy:

  1. The first step is to complete the first flight mission from 2018 to August 2019, actively explore the domestic and international markets, and innovate three modes of business, R&D and operation;
  2. The second step is to complete 5 development missions by December 2020, complete the design and flight verification of the 1.4-meter satellite cabin, and have the ability to launch launches at major domestic launch sites;
  3. The third step is to enter the mature batch mission stage starting in 2021, to achieve a higher domestic launch share for every 10 batches, and to build the "Jielong" international brand.

The technology and model innovation is inseparable from the accumulation and precipitation of technology, data, and talents of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology for more than 60 years. Jielong No. 1’s exploration has opened a window to allow young people’s “golden ideas” in scientific research institutes within the system to have “touchstones” faster, and the entrepreneurial passion for a new business stimulates innovation vitality come out.

The Jielong No. 1 development team is mainly born in the 80s and 90s, with an average age of only 31 years old. In this “new force” of innovation, they often use “brainstorming” to create “sparks” for solving problems, and the ideas that have just emerged in the innovation competition can also be directly applied to products.

Jielong and Tamron will fly together to achieve reusable liquid commercial rockets in 2025. According to the plan, the development of Jielong No. 1 will take a "three-step": the first step is to complete the first flight from the start of development in 2018 to August 2019, and actively explore the domestic and international markets;

The second step is to complete the development of 5 rockets from January 2019 to December 2020, complete the design and flight verification of the 1.4-meter satellite cabin, and have the ability to launch launches at major domestic launch sites. The third step is to enter a mature batch of tasks starting in 2021, with a batch of 10 launches to achieve a higher domestic launch share and build the "Jielong" international brand.

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