China tested the world's most powerful rocket engine for lunar and Martian rockets

While the United States is preparing for the launch of the long-suffering Artemis I lunar mission, China is not standing still either.

Here's What We Know

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has tested the world's most powerful rocket engine. It will be used in rockets for lunar and Martian missions. The liquid twin-nozzle engine is called the YF-130.

It was tested at the CASC test facility. The YF-130 was able to develop thrust over 500 tons. The Chinese engine uses liquid kerosene and oxygen as fuel.

Despite the creation of the engine, China has not yet promulgated a program of superheavy launch vehicles. That is exactly what the YF-130 is aimed at. It is expected that the new liquid engine will be installed in the Long March 9 (aka Changzheng 9) rocket, which is being developed by the China Institute of Rocket Technology Research (CALT).

The rocket will be able to carry cargoes weighing 140 tons to circumterrestrial, 66 tons to geostationary, 50 tons to Earth-Moon transition orbit and 44 tons to Earth-Mars transition orbit. The Long March 9 was originally designed as a single-use rocket, but there are now options to convert it to reusable or partially reusable.

Source: scmp

Image: China Daily