China’s critical third-stage rocket engine passes test for crewed moon mission

The YF-75E will power the final section of the Long March-10 lunar launcher and was tested on a newly completed rig at an unknown location

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The test of the Long March-10 moon rocket’s third-stage engine took place at a newly completed facility which is said to be the first of its kind in China and the largest in Asia. Photo: Weibo

Published: 4:13pm, 24 Jul 2024Updated: 2:50am, 25 Jul 2024

China has successfully tested the third-stage engine of its Long March-10 moon rocket, moving one step closer towards putting Chinese astronauts on the lunar surface before 2030.

The YF-75E engine, which burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, was fired on Saturday at a newly completed test rig, according to its developer the state-owned Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion Technology (AALPT).

“The test verified the feasibility of the engine’s long-term operation in space, and was a full success,” the academy – a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation – said on its WeChat account on Tuesday.

“It means China can now test liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen engines for thousands of seconds … This will strongly support the implementation of the nation’s manned lunar exploration.”

The test rig was billed as the first of its kind in China and the largest in Asia when it was commissioned in May. Neither the academy nor a report by state broadcaster CCTV at the time mentioned where the facility is located.

According to the CCTV report in May, the test rig can simulate high-altitude vertical-flight conditions, including a vacuum environment with pressure under one kilopascal, over thousands of seconds at a time.

China has been making steady progress towards its goal to put astronauts on the moon, with initial testing on the Long March-10’s propulsion system completed last month.