China's Space Program News Thread
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What happened on Friday was the full-scale test of everything without the combustion chamber and nozzle. It is not a full engine test because the test rig is only capable of 500t used for YF-100. The new engine is 480t leaving no safety margin. The test is full-scale and full power otherwise meaning the gas generator (aka pre-burner) and the turbine pumps (both oxygen and fuel). These parts of the engine is in full working condition.
They have assembled a full engine at the end of 2020. It is waiting for the ongoing construction of the new test stand. I suspect the test can happen in 2021.
The 200-ton engine must be a mistake by global times because China does not have any engine at 200t for the moment. Three times of 200t is 600t which is much larger that YF-130's design spec (480t at sea level). The coming LOX/LOH engine (YF-90) is 220t in vacuum (200t class). But comparing a first stage engine (sea level) with a 2nd stage (vacuum) engine is not appropriate.
[Edit]
In Temstar's reply it is apparently "3 times of 120t class (YF-100)".
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I am not sure about that part although I don't have the inside information to back up my thinking. The wording was "全工况半系统" "full working condition half system". If not igniting the mix, the pre-burner would not be run, the chamber pressure, temperature and ignition sequence would not be tested. It is hardly a full working condition.
This kind of test (everything except main combustion chamber) is nothing new. See here, Landspace 2019 half system full test of 80t LOX/Methane engine.
Since the Landscape people are from within the state space industry, they share the same methodology, I believe the 500t class engine's test was done in the same way, firing up everything.
Hydrolox means Liquid Hydrogen and Oxygen.
3 times is right, the latest YF-100 is the K variant which is 120t. The earlier YF-100 is 100t.
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What do you mean? Tianwen-1 is a satellite of Mars. The previous NASA MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) and ESA Mars Express are all satellites.
I know, it's incredibly obvious that there would be some. My dumb brain just never thought about satellites aside from flybys. One of those embarrassing knowledge gaps.
Indeed my bad, it's kerolox, hence comparison to RD-180 and YF-100.
No. The turbine is for two pumps and two chambers, if the turbine runs full power, there has to be either two chambers burning all the fuels (for two chambers) or not burning any but using water to test the pumps only.
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