Shenzhou-19 and Long March-2F: Higher transport capacity, better rocket reliability

October 30 marked the start of Shenzhou-19 – the 14th mission of China's Shenzhou manned spacecraft series.

The latest spaceship features an optimized layout and the highest loading capacity in the spacecraft series that adheres to some of the most stringent reliability and safety standards.

The spacecraft consists of three modules: orbital module, re-entry module and propellant module.

The orbital module is where astronauts work and live during the flight, the re-entry module serves as the spacecraft's control center and is the only module capable of returning to Earth, while the propellant module provides power for the spacecraft.

By optimizing the equipment and layout within the orbital module, the Shenzhou-19 spaceship has further improved its transport capacity, enabling it to carry more load and provide a more comfortable environment for the astronauts, Liu Qingbo from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) told China Media Group (CMG).

The optimizations have increased the spaceship's loading space by 20 percent, allowing for the transport of more time-sensitive and essential supplies.

"The development team conducted extensive tests before the Shenzhou-19 manned spacecraft left the factory, fully verifying its transport capacity," said Liu.

He added improvements will continue for subsequent Shenzhou spacecraft to provide more efficient and stable in-orbit support for the long-term operation of China Space Station.

Long March-2F rocket: Backbone of China's crewed space missions

The Long March-2F carrier rocket, which took the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft to space, is China's only rocket for manned missions.

Equipped with four boosters, the 58.3-meter-long rocket has a takeoff weight of approximately 500 tonnes.

Known as "Shenjian" (Divine Arrow), the Long March-2F rocket has achieved a 100-percent launch success rate since its maiden flight in 1999.

Such rockets for manned missions are set apart by their fault detection and handling systems, along with an escape system designed to ensure astronaut safety, said Chen Muye from the CASC.

"High reliability is a hallmark of manned launch vehicles," Chen said, introducing different escape modes.

"At low altitudes, we execute the escape tower mode, which relies on the escape tower for the escape and rescue functions. Once the altitude exceeds 39 kilometers, the escape tower is jettisoned, and the payload fairing takes over the escape and rescue functions. The high-altitude escape motors outside the fairing can propel the entire escape capsule away from a malfunctioning rocket," said Chen.

Despite the Long March-2F rocket's maturity, Chen said improvements were made in each mission for higher reliability and safety. For the Shenzhou-19 mission, the rocket has made 23 technical modifications.

The escape tower atop the Long March-2F rocket is equipped with six solid-fuel engines of three different types, with each type serving a distinct function. In the event of an issue, the escape tower can instantly propel the spacecraft away from the malfunctioning rocket.

Except for one flight mission during the testing phase, the escape tower of the Long March-2F rocket hasn't actually been activated, demonstrating the rocket's high reliability and safety.

"Although the escape tower has never been used, it serves as a steadfast assurance for our astronauts and is an essential safeguard for the entire mission," said Wan Nuo at the CASC.