If you want to go to a more distant planet, please @the "Hercules" in the rocket family

When we look up at the night sky, we may see a sea of ​​stars, but for every astronaut, it is a challenge to move forward courageously. The vast universe is ancient and profound, and if humans want to set foot in it, land on the moon or more distant planets, they need to rely on the "Hercules" in the rocket family - heavy-lift launch vehicles. They can carry more than 50 tons of payload into low-Earth orbit, and their takeoff weight usually exceeds 2,000 tons. With such a powerful thrust, only two launches are enough to send humans to the moon and back, or even further.

Medium-lift launch vehicles and heavy-lift launch vehicles

Heavy-lift launch vehicles are not just about increasing the size and thrust of rockets, but also a comprehensive embodiment of cutting-edge technology. They are responsible for major tasks such as manned lunar landings and the launch of large deep space probes, and are the crown jewel of current rocket technology. In fact, in history, only the United States and the former Soviet Union have truly achieved successful launches of heavy-lift rockets. Looking back at the history of modern human spaceflight, we can find a magnificent roadmap for heavy-lift rockets.

Current status of heavy rocket development in various countries

Rocket name Country First launch time Low-Earth orbit carrying capacity (tons) Takeoff weight (tons) Current status N-1 Russia 1969 (failed) 95 tons About 2735 Cancelled Energia Russia 1987 About 100 tons About 2400 Retired Yenisei Russia plans to 2028 More than 100 tons About 3100 Discontinued Saturn V United States 1967 About 140 tons About 3000 Retired Space Shuttle United States 1981 About 122 tons (including Space Shuttle Orbiter) About 2000 Retired Space Launch System United States 2022 About 70 About 2600 In service Falcon Heavy United States 2018 About 63 (unused) About 1400 In service Starship United States 2023 (first orbital-level test flight) More than 100 About 5000 In testing New Glenn rocket United States plans January 2025 About 70 About 1200 In testing Long March 9 China plans 2030 About 150 years and more than 4000 years in development Long March 10 China plans to develop about 702173 in 2027 It can be seen that many heavy rockets that were once famous, such as the Saturn V of the United States and the Energia of the Soviet Union, have now withdrawn from the stage of history. The appearance of the US Space Launch System (SLS) and SpaceX's Starship has rekindled the dream of human deep space exploration. In contrast, India, Japan and the European Space Agency currently have no rocket development plans that truly break through the 50-ton level in low-Earth orbit capacity, and Russia's Yenisei heavy-lift launch vehicle has also stopped development. It is worth noting that China is continuing to exert its strength in this field. The Long March 9 is expected to have a low-Earth orbit carrying capacity of 150 tons, which will undoubtedly refresh the world's perception of China's aerospace strength and lay a solid foundation for future lunar exploration, Mars exploration and deeper and farther space exploration.

China's heavy-lift rocket Long March 10

Manned lunar landing is a milestone in the aerospace industry and the most urgent application scenario for heavy-lift rockets. Facing the major goal of manned lunar landing, my country has specially developed the milestone Long March 10 heavy-lift carrier rocket, which is scheduled to complete its maiden flight around 2027. With a new level of technical strength and carrying capacity, it will open up a broader world for human exploration of space.

A new generation of manned transport rockets

The Long March 10 is also called the new generation of manned carrier rocket. The basic model is about 92.5 meters long, and the core stage has the same 5-meter diameter as the Long March 5, but the height is nearly one-third higher than the Long March 5. Its takeoff weight is about 2,189 tons, and its takeoff thrust is as high as 2,678 tons. It has a carrying capacity of no less than 27 tons for the lunar orbit, and 70 tons for the near-Earth orbit. Its design includes boosters, core one, core two, core three, as well as an escape tower and fairing. Among them, the core one and the two boosters are both 5 meters in diameter, each equipped with 7 liquid oxygen/kerosene engines; the core two is also 5 meters in diameter, equipped with 2 engines of the same type; the third stage is also 5 meters in diameter, but it is equipped with 3 hydrogen-oxygen engines. Such a large-caliber, multi-stage combination design can not only meet the high payload requirements of the lunar landing level, but also cope with the needs of near-Earth and other orbital missions, and truly achieve a flexible combination "like building blocks".

The development trend of heavy rockets is to reduce costs through reuse, making their development sustainable. On the road to reducing launch costs, rocket recovery technologies are flourishing. Whether it is precise self-control of vertical landing, parachute landing with cushioning, or bold ideas such as mid-air capture, they are all brainstorming to make the rocket fly into space again after maintenance and renovation. The Long March 10 also adheres to the concept of partial reuse, opening up a "circular economy" channel for my country to reach a wider starry sky.

In my country's future manned lunar mission, two Long March 10 rockets will work together: the first will send the "Moon Lander" into the lunar orbit to wait; then the second will carry three astronauts and the "Dream Boat Manned Spacecraft" to the lunar orbit to rendezvous and dock with the lander. After that, two astronauts will take the lander to land on the moon, and one will stay in the "Dream Boat Manned Spacecraft" in orbit. After completing the detection and sampling mission, the astronauts who landed on the moon will take the upgrade and dock with the spacecraft again. The three of them will return to Earth with the lunar samples and successfully complete this feat. In 2024, the Long March 10 fully entered the prototype development stage, and has completed large-scale experiments such as the first-stage power system test, the third-stage YF-75E hydrogen-oxygen engine high-altitude simulation test, and the fairing separation test. The 5-meter large-diameter system and modular design are in line with the overall idea of ​​China's new generation of launch vehicles, making diversified mission requirements easier and more efficient.

Heavy-duty rockets are not only the crystallization of science and technology, but also a symbol of human courage, wisdom and cooperation. The success of the Long March 10 will continue to lead China's space program to break through the constraints of the earth, write more brilliant chapters in the vast universe, and open up a bright future for interstellar civilization. I hope that China's heavy-duty rocket industry will continue to move to new heights and safeguard the cosmic dreams of all mankind.

Author: Zhou Binghong, China's space science ambassador