China has tested a rocket equipped with an intelligent engine control system
On Thursday, the Chinese private space company LandSpace successfully conducted a test launch of the upgraded Zhuque-2E Y5 launch vehicle, which is equipped with "smart" engine control systems. The launch was part of testing new control technologies aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of rocket systems. The developers claim that the updated algorithms allow for more effective control of engine operation during flight and increase the stability of the launch vehicle during launch.
This was reported by CGTN.
The rocket launched at 11:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. Kyiv time) from the Dongfeng commercial spaceport in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China and delivered a specialized test payload weighing 2.8 tons into a 900-kilometer-high Earth orbit.
The main objective of this mission was to test the autonomous “smart” flight control systems of the first-stage engines, designed to diagnose malfunctions in these rocket engines that may occur during flight and capable of independently adjusting thrust to ensure stable operation.
Details regarding the new smart engine control systems and their specifications have not been disclosed.
The ZQ-2E Y5 launch vehicle is an upgraded version of the Zhuque-2, the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket using a mixture of oxygen and methane to reach orbit.
This upgraded model features an extended first-stage tank, which, thanks to cryogenic technology, can hold 15% more fuel and provide the necessary thrust to launch 6 tons of payload into low Earth orbit, or 4 tons into an orbit 500 kilometers high. According to the rocket’s developers, these capabilities could make it the primary vehicle for future satellite constellation deployments in Earth orbit.
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