https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202602/1355194.shtml
China successfully completes low-altitude Long March-10 test, marking major breakthrough in China’s manned lunar exploration program
China on Wednesday successfully conducted a low-altitude demonstration and verification flight test for its Long March-10 carrier rocket in the southern island province of Hainan, the China Manned Space Agency said.
The test marked another major developmental flight in China's manned lunar exploration program following earlier trials, including the tethered ignition test of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the zero-altitude abort flight test of the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, and the comprehensive landing and liftoff verification of the Lanyue lunar lander.
The Global Times reporter learned from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Wednesday that during the maximum dynamic pressure abort test, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft lifted off with the ignition of the Long March-10 rocket's core first stage.
After about one minute of ascent, at an altitude of around 10 kilometers above sea level, the spacecraft sequentially carried out key actions including separation of the service module and return capsule, engine ignition, attitude adjustment, and separation of the escape tower from the return capsule.
When the return capsule descended to an altitude of around 8 kilometers, three parachutes with a total area exceeding 2,400 square meters deployed smoothly, decelerating the capsule from about 80 meters per second to below 10 meters per second, ultimately ensuring a safe splashdown in the designated sea area. China's first maximum dynamic pressure abort flight test was declared a complete success.
Firsts and highlights
According to People's Daily, the test featured multiple firsts and highlights, including a new rocket model, a new spacecraft model, a new launch pad, and new missions involving the maritime recovery of both the rocket and spacecraft. Both the rocket and spacecraft used in the test were in their initial prototype configurations. The rocket's core first stage had previously completed two tethered ignition tests, while the spacecraft's return capsule had undergone a zero-altitude abort flight test.
The test also marked the first low-altitude flight test of the Long March-10 carrier rocket. The Long March-10 is a new-generation launch vehicle developed to support China's manned lunar missions. Featuring a series of rockets with two models and multiple configurations, it is expected to play a key role in achieving the country's goal of a manned lunar landing by 2030.
It adopts a "three-and-a-half-stage" configuration, stands about 90 meters tall, and generates a liftoff thrust of roughly 2,700 tons. It is currently China's largest launch vehicle and the only one capable of sending both a crewed spacecraft and a lunar lander into translunar orbit. The test verified the functional performance of the rocket's core first-stage ascent and recovery flight phases.
The test marked the first powered flight of the Long March-10 rocket in its initial prototype configuration, China's first maximum dynamic pressure abort test of a spacecraft, and China's first maritime splashdown of both a crewed spacecraft return capsule and a rocket first stage, per People's Daily.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_10
Video of booster water landing:
Entry burn and splashdown videos.
