Due to the headline revision, the ad unlock function has been added, when the ad is opened, wait for 5 seconds You are stretching out your little hand to make a fortune, click the X number in the upper right corner to close, and you can continue to read my article.
#长文创作激励计划#
The content of this article is written with authoritative information combined with personal opinions, and the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
Preface
Fall! Explode! The air wave that shattered the glass...... On 30 June, a test launch of a private rocket on the mainland crashed, leaving a thrilling flash of fire in the calm mountains and forests.
In the face of such an accident, people can't help but ask: Does this "earth-shattering" accident indicate the future and fate of the mainland's private aerospace industry? Can the "lost east" of Tianbing Technology be able to "harvest the mulberry elm"?
Observer.com, "Tianlong-3 rocket test accident: tuition must be paid"2024-06-30
Observer.com, "Tianlong-3 rocket test accident: tuition must be paid"2024-06-30
The tragedy of an accident
At 3:43 p.m. on June 30, in Gongyi, Henan, a routine rocket test turned into a thrilling accident.
The "Tianlong-3" large liquid carrier rocket independently developed by Tianbing Science and Technology was carrying out the hot test run of the parallel power system of a sub-stage and nine machines, when the rocket suddenly broke away from the test bench and flew obliquely into the sky with a long tail flame.
Just seconds later, it crashed into a forest 1.5 kilometers away, triggering a violent explosion and fire.
According to eyewitness accounts, at the time of the incident, the tail flame of the rocket was dozens of meters long, and the dazzling fire was accompanied by a deafening roar, whistling and towing the rocket into the air.
The rocket flew in the air for about 10 seconds, then began to lose control and slowly sank its head.
Just as it was about to touch the ground, the wreckage of the rocket suddenly disintegrated in the air, the fuel tank was ignited, and a huge fireball was instantly generated, accompanied by a deafening explosion, and soared into the sky.
"Boom!" The blast wave from the explosion swept away at supersonic speed, shattering the glass of houses for miles in a radius, like a sudden hail attack. Many villagers were stunned by the sudden noise, and some even thought that there had been an earthquake.
Then, a cloud of billowing smoke erupted from the crash site, and a mushroom cloud hundreds of meters high swirled in the sky, like a huge black vortex, swallowing up all the sunlight.
According to preliminary investigations, the cause of the accident may have been that the thrust of the rocket engine exceeded expectations, reaching an astonishing 820 tons, equivalent to the weight of more than 100 heavy trucks.
The mooring device, which was originally used to fix the rocket, was overwhelmed in the face of such a huge pulling force, resulting in the direct collapse of the connection between the rocket body and the test bench.
Wang Gang, CEO of Tianbing Technology, admitted in an interview that the accident did bring huge losses to the company, not only economically, but also in terms of schedule and public confidence.
"Setbacks and failures are inevitable, and the key is to learn from them." Wang Gang said, "As Musk said, the rocket explosion is just a delayed launch. We have to move forward because it's only through trial and error that we can find our way to success. "
This accident will undoubtedly become an unavoidable node in the development of the mainland's commercial aerospace industry.
It serves as a wake-up call to the high stakes of the undertaking; But it is also a banner that shows the courage and determination of the mainland's private forces to continue to explore.
Guangming.com, "Henan Gongyi Bulletin: Tianbing Science and Technology Rocket Body is scattered, causing fire in local areas, no casualties" 2024-07-01
Guangming.com, "Henan Gongyi Bulletin: Tianbing Science and Technology Rocket Body is scattered, causing fire in local areas, no casualties" 2024-07-01
On this thorny road, if you fall, you have to get up and continue to move forward, because the stars and the sea will eventually be under your feet.
The positioning and significance of the Tianlong-3 rocket
In the mainland, when it comes to private aerospace, Tianbing Technology can be described as an unavoidable name, and "Tianlong No. 3" is the flagship product of this company.
It is understood that when the "Tianlong 3" was first designed, its goal was to become the continental version of the "Falcon 9" and benchmark SpaceX's star rocket.
Judging from the parameters, the "Tianlong No. 3" really lives up to expectations. It has a diameter of 3.8 meters and a take-off mass of 590 tons, which is equivalent to the weight of more than 40 African elephants.
And its low-earth orbit capacity is up to 17 tons, and the sun-synchronous orbit capacity is also 14 tons, which means that it can send dozens of satellites into space at a time, greatly reducing the cost of launch.
In terms of power, "Tianlong No. 3" also showed strong strength. It uses a number of "Tianhuo XII" liquid oxygen kerosene engines, each with a sea-level thrust of up to 120 tons and a vacuum thrust of 150 tons.
What's more, these engines are not only thrust adjustable, but also reusable, which greatly improves the economy and reliability of the rocket.
In fact, in this accident, we have seen the amazing power of "Tianlong-3".
When nine engines were ignited at the same time, the total thrust reached 820 tons, which was more than twice the previous largest thrust test in the history of mainland aerospace! And this data is more than comparable in the world.
"The design thrust of Tianlong-3 is relatively large, and we have also thought of the bearing capacity of the tethering device, and have corresponding considerations and enhancements in design and manufacturing.
Liu Ming, chief engineer of Tianbing Technology, said, "But the actual thrust of 820 tons did exceed our expectations, resulting in a fracture of the joint." This shows that we still need to further optimize and improve the structural design and material selection. "
Despite this, Liu Ming is still full of confidence in the future of Tianlong III. "Judging from the performance of the rocket itself, this test run has actually initially reached our expected goals."
As a matter of fact, the development of the "Tianlong-3" itself represents a major breakthrough in the mainland's private aerospace industry. For a long time, the development of launch vehicles has been the "patent" of the national team, and it is difficult for private enterprises to get involved.
However, with the rise of commercial aerospace, more and more private forces have begun to enter this field, and Tianbing Technology is undoubtedly at the forefront.
As one of the first enterprises in China to obtain the launch license of civilian launch vehicles, Tianbing Technology has aimed at the direction of liquid rockets, which is the most technically difficult, from the beginning of its establishment.
They started with small rockets, accumulated experience step by step, and finally had such a heavyweight product as "Tianlong-3".
In this sense, the "Tianlong-3" is not only a rocket, but also a microcosm of the mainland's private aerospace industry that continues to break through itself and bravely scale new heights.
Every time it flies, it sends a signal to the world: in this new space era, the continent is no longer a spectator, but a leader.
Even if the road is bumpy, even if we fall and get injured, we still have to face the difficulties, because we have a common dream in our hearts, that is, to use our own hands to pick the stars and the moon, to explore the mysteries of the universe.
The hidden potential and the mystery behind it
If we analyze carefully, we can get a glimpse of the hidden potential and the mystery behind the "Tianlong No. 3" from this accident.
As we all know, the power of a rocket is one of the most critical indicators to measure its performance. And in this regard, this accident handed over a dazzling report card.
When the nine "Tianhuo XII" engines roared at the same time, they burst out with 820 tons of thrust, a figure that not only exceeded design expectations, but also set a new record for the mainland's commercial spaceflight.
"820 tons, what is this concept? This is equivalent to more than 30 J-20 fighters at the same time to open the maximum military push, or more than 60 Jiefang brand heavy trucks at the same time.
Such a strong power, although it led to this accident, but from another point of view, it also proves the outstanding level of design and manufacturing of Tianlong 3.
Under normal circumstances, the actual thrust of the rocket is difficult to meet the design standard, usually 10% to 20% lower, but the Tianlong-3 not only meets the standard, but also far exceeds expectations, which shows that its engine performance is very good, and the manufacturing process is also very mature.
In fact, the "Tianhuo 12" engine used in Tianlong-3 has always been regarded as a "trump card" of private aerospace in the industry.
Compared with the traditional nitrous oxide engine, it adopts more advanced liquid oxygen kerosene technology, which has higher specific impulse performance, greater specific thrust and longer working time.
Its nine engines work in parallel, thrust depth adjustment, overall reuse and other characteristics, which is a "unique skill" with high technical content, representing the highest level of international commercial aerospace.
The breakthrough of Tianhuo 12 has also given wings to the take-off of the mainland's commercial aerospace, and the high-thrust liquid engine has always been the core technology of the launch vehicle and an important symbol of the aerospace power.
For a long time, this field has been monopolized by traditional space powers such as the United States and Russia. Now, we have mastered this key technology, which means that the foundation of our private aerospace industry is more solid, and we are one step closer to the goal of becoming a space power.
For Tianbing Technology, this accident is certainly a lesson, but in the long run, it may be regarded as a review of its own strength.
Through this test run, Tianbing people should have a clearer understanding of the potential of "Tianlong No. 3", and also strengthen their confidence to continue to tackle key problems.
There is still a long way to go on the road to commercial space
For this accident, how to learn lessons and how to avoid the recurrence of the tragedy is undoubtedly an urgent issue in front of Tianbing Technology.
However, while reflecting on ourselves, it is also necessary to look at a broader perspective to examine the enlightenment and impact of this incident on the commercial aerospace industry of the entire continent and even the global aerospace industry.
In a sense, what happened to the Tianlong 3 is very similar to Musk's starship. As SpaceX's flagship product, the Starship rocket has also attracted global attention for its huge power and revolutionary design.
The "Raptor" engine it is equipped with has a single sea-level thrust of up to 270 tons, and this figure has been upgraded over the years, from the initial 200 tons.
However, such a strong power also shrouds this "beast" from space under the haze of potential safety hazards.
With this in mind, the FAA has repeatedly postponed the approval of its first orbital flight, citing safety reviews, despite the fact that Starship has completed several test flights in 2022 and successfully achieved a soft landing.
From this point of view, the accident of Tianlong-3 undoubtedly sounded a wake-up call and warned the world of the dangers hidden by the Great Power Rocket.
But at the same time, we should also note that although this accident caused some economic losses, its significance may be positive in the long run.
This will be a valuable lesson, forcing us to comprehensively review the design process, improve the production process, and work flight control and emergency response in the coming days, so as to make Tianlong-3 more complete and reliable.
epilogue
In fact, judging from the overall development process of Tianlong-3, it has already shown amazing achievements. As the mainland's first high-thrust carrier rocket independently developed by a private enterprise, its design indicators and key technologies have begun to keep up with the international advanced level.
Primary sources
Observer.com, "Tianlong-3 rocket test accident: tuition must be paid"2024-06-30
Guangming.com, "Henan Gongyi Bulletin: Tianbing Science and Technology Rocket Body is scattered, causing fire in local areas, no casualties" 2024-07-01