China to launch its first solid fuel rocket before 2016
China to launch its first solid fuel rocket before 2016
China plans to launch its first solid fuel rocket by 2016, marking a strategic shift from liquid fuel rockets, which so far has been used in over 170 successful launches in the last two decades.
China's first solid-fuel rocket Long March-11 is expected to make its first launch before 2016, said Liang Xiaohong, deputy head of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
The rocket will be easy to operate and cost-efficient to launch. It can remain in storage for long periods and reliably launched at a short notice, Liang said.
China has launched more than 170 liquid-fuel rockets successfully, but is yet to make breakthrough in developing solid-fuel rockets, which analysts say can be applied in missiles as well.
"The development of Long March-11 will greatly improve China's capabilities to rapidly reach space and meet any emergency launching demand in case of disasters and emergencies," Liang told state-run Xinhua news agency.
The Long March-11 rocket will use China's largest solid-fuel rocket engine and a brand new launching support system, Liang added.
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