Of course, because this satellite has many functions and many scientific research and verification projects to be carried out, it naturally has a lot of weight. The weight of this satellite reaches as much as 12 tons. At present, except for the almost No. 5 rocket already manufactured by Tiangong technology, there is no rocket that can send this satellite into the Earth Moon transfer orbit, Even the current tiangong-4 rocket cannot send such a heavy satellite into the Earth Moon transfer orbit.
Although the total weight of the tiangong-4 rocket has reached more than 800 tons, which is almost as heavy as the official largest rocket, the tiangong-4 rocket of Tiangong technology is a recyclable rocket, so its carrying capacity is much lower than that of the same type of rocket, so it can not undertake the launch mission at all.
Fortunately, now their tiangong-5 rocket has been manufactured and can also send the satellite into Earth Moon transfer orbit.
Of course, like the tiangong-4 rocket, the tiangong-5 rocket is also a recyclable rocket, but unlike the previous recyclable rockets, the last stage of the tiangong-5 rocket uses not the traditional liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen rocket engine, but the baiqianniu atomic engine newly developed by Tiangong technology.
After all, the atomic engine does not need liquid oxygen for combustion, as long as there is liquid fuel, which makes Tiangong technology very optimistic about this engine and the future of this engine.
In fact, this atomic engine technology is also the technology purchased by Wang Bin from the science and technology mall. Its technical prototype is kanxing''s "sub nerve" atomic rocket engine.
The prototype of this engine, that is, the thrust of the "sub nerve" atomic rocket engine, is only 60000 cattle. After the improvement and development of Tiangong science and technology R & D personnel, this 100kN atomic rocket engine was developed.
Like the previous prototype "sub nerve" atomic rocket engine, the weight of this atomic engine is much heavier than that of ordinary liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine. Apart from others, the thrust of this atomic rocket engine developed by Tiangong technology is only about 100 kn, that is, 10 tons, but its self weight has reached nearly five tons, It is definitely several times that of other rocket engines with the same thrust.
However, its specific impulse is much larger than that of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine, which is far from that of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine. Therefore, this can enable this stage rocket to store more fuel, enable the rocket to put heavier objects into higher orbit, and recover this stage rocket.
After putting the satellite into the Earth Moon transfer orbit, this stage rocket must also have enough fuel to return. However, if an ordinary rocket engine is used, that is, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen rocket engine, it must carry more fuel. After all, it is necessary to put the spacecraft into the Earth Moon transfer orbit, Then the speed must be at least 11 kilometers per second.
However, when the satellite is put into the rocket and needs to return, the rocket must reduce its speed again. At this time, it needs the rocket engine to complete. If the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine is used, it must carry a large amount of fuel. In this way, the carrying capacity of the rocket will be greatly reduced, even less than 10 tons, This is definitely not the structure that Tiangong technology wants to see.
If so, Wang Bin, they might as well not recycle the last stage rocket!
Fortunately, with the atomic rocket engine, since liquid oxygen is not required as oxidant, although the engine has a heavy weight, the overall weight of the last stage can reduce the weight to a level that Tiangong technology can bear.
It can be said that tiangong-5 rocket uses many new technologies of Tiangong technology. At the same time, the satellite launched this time is a collection of many key advanced technologies of Tiangong technology.
Therefore, it took Wang Bin and his team more than a month to design and manufacture the satellite. At the same time, tiangong-5 rocket has been manufactured for a long time. However, since the satellite has not been manufactured yet, No. 5 rocket has been launched during this period.
However, with the completion of satellite manufacturing, the launch of rockets has also been put on the agenda.
Of course, with regard to the upcoming launch of the lunar exploration communication satellite by Tiangong technology, Wang Bin and their Tiangong technology have also reported to their superiors and obtained their consent.
And when the superior department receives the application report submitted by Tiangong technology, it also attaches great importance to it. At the same time, it also attaches great importance to the latest technologies of Tiangong technology. After all, all the technologies used on this rocket and this satellite are the world''s top technologies.
Therefore, in order to improve national self-confidence, officials have also carried out large-scale publicity. After all, the lunar exploration satellite launched this time is not launched by official space agencies, but by domestic private space companies.
Most importantly, the rockets and satellites launched this time were completely developed by Tiangong technology itself, not provided and supported by the government.
And in the publicity, the official also made it clear that the satellite used the latest communication means developed by Tiangong technology, and verified its technical feasibility in ultra long distance.
Therefore, once the news was officially announced, it caused great repercussions in the whole country and even in the world.
After all, it was a private domestic aerospace company that launched the lunar satellite this time! Not the official space company.
You know, even the most advanced private aerospace company in the world, X aerospace company, has many plans, including the moon plan and so on.
But in fact, at this time, in addition to launching their company''s star chain plan and launching some earth satellites, their plans for lunar exploration and landing have not been launched. At this time, they are vigorously stepping up their company''s starship test flight and test improvement project.
However, now, their company has not even made the spacecraft, and someone wants them to start the moon program first. How can they be affected.
Therefore, the news that Tiangong technology is about to launch a lunar satellite, once officially disclosed, attracted great attention of X company, and its person in charge immediately announced that their company will also launch a lunar exploration satellite in the near future and collect the landform of the moon, so as to lay the foundation for their company''s upcoming Lunar plan.
At the same time, the official propaganda on the Internet has aroused heated discussion.
After all, this incident was sensational. You know, before that, although Tiangong Technology launched rockets once or twice a month, and its rockets were very successful without an accident, the most important thing is that the company''s rockets were successfully recycled every time. Therefore, in the eyes of many Chinese people, The rocket technology of Tiangong technology has reached or exceeded the level of X company.