
Some Thoughts on the Launch Vehicle Selection for China's Moon Exploration Program
Long Lehao
Strategic Study of CAE ›› 2002, Vol. 4 ›› Issue (9) : 31-37.
Some Thoughts on the Launch Vehicle Selection for China's Moon Exploration Program
Long Lehao
“Developing Space Science and Conducting Deep Space Exploration” is one of the objectives for China's space development in the near future (i.e. around the year 2010). Moon exploration is the first step to achieve the goal of “Conducting Deep Space Exploration”.To put the moon probe (or satellite) into orbit, it is especially important to select the right type of launch vehicle(s). Starting from the basic requirements of the launch vehicle(s) for the moon exploration mission, experience of moon-faring nations and current status of Long March launch vehicles, the author analyses pros and cons of the three operational orbits for moon exploration and feasibility of the program, and identifies the candidate Long Mach launch vehicles and plans for their upgrades. Taking the optimization of the overall space system engineering into consideration, the author proposes, as the primary plan, that an LM-3B with an upper stage be used for launching the satellite and the upper stage for its hard (or soft) landing on the moon, and, as the secondary plan, an LM-3C for launching a probe into lunar transfer orbit.
moon exploration program / launch vehicle / type selection / analysis
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