After the “70s”, “80s” and “90s”, we gathered at the Heavenly Palace for the fifth space meeting!
On October 30, the Long March 2F Yao-19 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou 19 manned spacecraft was successfully ignited and launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. About 10 minutes later, the Shenzhou 19 manned spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered its predetermined orbit. Subsequently, the three astronauts successfully entered the Chinese Space Station and reunited with the three astronauts of Shenzhou 18, marking the complete success of the launch mission.
It is understood that the launch mission usedLong March Rocket 2FIt is currently the only manned launch vehicle in my country and is known as the “Magic Arrow”. It provides an exclusive “astronaut train” for my country’s manned space missions. When carrying a manned spacecraft, the Longue Marche 2F rocket has a total length of 58.3 meters and a liftoff mass of 497 tonnes. The rocket engine is called the “core”. The greater the kinetic energy and the stronger the thrust, the higher the rocket can be sent to a higher orbit to support further space exploration missions.
The Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Sixth Academy”) has developed and delivered a total of 58 propulsion and attitude control main engines, as well as thermal control and life support system pumps and valves for this project. manned space mission. The development of propulsion equipment and subsystems for the return capsule and the propulsion module.
According to reports, Xi’an Aerospace Engine Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Xifa Company”), a subsidiary of the Sixth Aerospace Academy, produced the first stage main engine, second stage engine and booster engine required for the rocket, andUse 3D printing technology to manufacture related partsachieving a double improvement in engine reliability and efficiency.
Xifa Company is China’s only large-scale liquid rocket engine development and production unit. It established an innovative joint laboratory with Northwest Polytechnic University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and officially established an additive manufacturing center in 2017. The company raised funds to build a base industrial facility for additive manufacturing center in 2021, covering an area of approximately 9,000 square meters and equipped withMore than 100 additive manufacturing equipment。
At present, the base includes 5 categories of alloys and 29 types of materials, including titanium alloys, high-temperature alloys and aerospace-specific high-strength stainless steel.Additive manufacturing capabilitieshas made breakthroughs in more than 20 key technologies such as porous lattice structure design and manufacturing, microstructure precision additive manufacturing and high-performance laser fused deposition repair, and established a comprehensive technology system ranging from design, materials, forming, post-processing to testing and evaluation.
So far, the base has achieved the construction of complex three-dimensional closed impellers, thin-walled regeneration cooling channels, injectors, complex shells, special-shaped pipe fittings, etc.Additive manufacturing of more than 500 products on more than 50 engine typesamong which more than 150 products have been installed and tested and passed the hot test, and more than 50 products have been used in more than 80 aerospace launches and flight test missions such as human spaceflight, exploration of Mars and Beidou navigation.
In fact, 3D printing has become an indispensable key technology in commercial aerospace. According to the latest research report released by AVIC Securities, it is expected that between 2025 and 2030, the scale of the additive manufacturing market in the domestic commercial aerospace field will reachAbout 10.5 billion to 24 billion yuan. This also indicates that 3D printing has broad application prospects in the aerospace field and will provide stronger technical support for the development of commercial aerospace in the future.
According to the database, in addition to domestic aerospace institutions such as the Sixth Aerospace Institute that use 3D printing technology, many domestic commercial aerospace companies also widely use this technology. These companies includeTianbing Technology, Blue Arrow Aerospace, Interstellar Glory, Deep Blue Aerospace, Galaxy Powerwait. For example, Galaxy Power’s “Sky” series rocket engines use more than 30 3D printed metal parts, including key components such as turbine pumps and liquid oxygen/kerosene main valve housings. The thermal components of the thrust chamber and turbine disk of Tianlong-3 liquid launcher from Tianbing Technology are manufactured by 3D printing from stainless steel. Blue Arrow Aerospace’s Zhuque 2 and Zhuque 3 rockets feature 3D printed high-temperature stainless steel and alloy parts. In Interstellar Glory’s Hyperbola II verification rocket, key components such as tees and injectors were also manufactured using 3D printing technology.
According to Musk, overseas, SpaceX’s recently launched Raptor 3 engine uses “the world’s most advanced metal 3D printing technology”, including key components such as turbopump housings and injection plates, all made using 3D printing technology.
By 2025, China’s manned space program plans to implement three missions: Shenzhou 20, Shenzhou 21 and Tianzhou 9. It is foreseeable that with the advancement of technology and the increase in market demand, 3D printing technology will be increasingly widely used in the aerospace field, and we will also witness the maturity of this technology in aerospace projects.
