There Could Be Another Two Launches of the Long March 10A Rocket by the End of the Year
In recent days, there has been extensive discussion about the launch of the Chinese Long March 10B rocket (Chang Zheng 10B, CZ-10B or Long March 10B), which marked the first successful recovery of the rocket’s first stage by the Asian nation. This was an important moment for the Chinese space program, considering that the Long March 10 rockets will be fundamental for both commercial satellite launches and for transporting goods and crew to the Tiangong space station, as well as for the crewed lunar program.
China is not stopping here. CALT (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology), a state-owned company associated with CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation), is already working on two more first stages for future launches of the Long March 10A rocket. It is noteworthy that CZ-10A and CZ-10B share the first stage, while the second stage is different. The first uses RP-1 and liquid oxygen as propellants, while the second uses methane and liquid oxygen. The first will be employed for launches to the CSS with the Mengzhou capsule, while the second will be used to launch large satellite constellations.
The Long March 10A first stage will also be utilized (without recovery) in the triple booster configuration for launching crewed and uncrewed missions to the Moon and will be the basis for China's first landing on our natural satellite (expected by 2030, possibly in 2029). China is pushing for the production of various components for this rocket, including tanks and YF-100 engines, while the successful return of the first stage will now be analyzed to understand how to further improve performance and increase launch cadence.
Among the most important tests that will take place in the coming months is the launch of a Mengzhou spacecraft to the CSS to conduct docking operations and test subsystems in space (but in low Earth orbit). In this case, there will be no need to use three boosters, but a single Long March 10A can be used. Increasing the launch cadence will allow for more data collection before employing the rocket for crewed missions or for critical tests of the Chinese space program, thereby improving production capacity for future missions.
