Asia's largest high-altitude test stand for space engines put into use

Testing of a newly built high-altitude simulation test stand for space engines has been completed in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, China Space News reported on Wednesday.

The completion of testing represents a breakthrough in key technologies for the high-altitude simulation of the functioning of the main deceleration engine for China's manned lunar landing spacecraft.

The test run assessed the compatibility of the engine with the stand, which utilizes advanced steam active ejector technology, according to the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology, the system's developer.

The test stand, the largest in Asia and featuring the largest steam ejector pump set in the country, is capable of simulating high-vacuum conditions during the engine's full-window operation which lasts for 1,000 seconds.

It can simulate the real working environment of an engine in space, allowing researchers to access the working performance of the engine, Li Guanghui from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation told China Media Group, adding that the technology is extremely challenging to master, and only a few countries in the world have done so.

It took only eight months for China to complete construction of the stand, said Li.

In 2023, China initiated the lunar landing mission of its manned lunar exploration program, with the aim of realizing a manned lunar landing by 2030.

Flight vehicles being developed for the mission include the Long March-10 rocket, the manned spacecraft Mengzhou and the lunar lander Lanyue, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

In June 2024, China completed a test run of the propulsion system for the first stage of the Long March-10 carrier rocket.

(With input from Xinhua)