China's reusable Long March-10B carrier rocket made its maiden flight on Friday, using high-purity methane propellant derived from liquefied natural gas (LNG) on a large scale for the first time -- a milestone in fuel diversification for the commercial space sector.
China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage.
The rocket sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system.
Standing around 63 meters tall with a diameter of 5 meters, the the Long March-10B carrier rocket is China's first commercial reusable rocket to use liquid oxygen-methane propellant.
The methane fuel for the rocket had a purity of 98.7 percent and was entirely sourced from domestic supplies, according to the China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec).
"High-purity methane fuel can be produced from LNG for civilian use. The fuel used in this launch was refined from over 1,000 tons of LNG through a three-stage deep purification process. Compared with traditional liquid hydrogen fuel, its storage and transportation costs are 40 percent lower, offering a new and viable fuel solution for the routine low-cost and high-frequency launches in China's commercial space sector," said Cao Lizhao, manager of the south China sales center with Sinopec natural gas company.
Liquid oxygen-methane propellant is emerging as a new generation of commercial space fuel in China, thanks to its strong performance, compatibility with reusable rocket technology, environmental friendliness, and ease of storage and transport.
"The successful application of high-purity methane fuel in this commercial space mission helps establish a multi-channel, substitutable, safe and reliable supply system of space fuel, providing a cost-effective, green and low-carbon technological path for the high-quality development of the commercial space industry, and comprehensively enhancing the sector's self-reliance and core market competitiveness," said Ding Dapeng, manager of the LNG business management center with the Sinopec natural gas company.
China achieves breakthrough in commercial space fuel diversification with reusable carrier rocket
Regions in east and north China are redoubling preparedness for Typhoon Bavi, the ninth storm of the year, as it threatens to lash large swaths of the country with heavy rain and gales.
Starting at 09:00 Friday, Shanghai's Yangshan Port, the world's busiest container port and a critical hub in global trade, completely suspended the entry of vessels.
As the last vessel operating in the port departed the harbor area, over 100 gantry cranes at Yangshan Port raised their booms to reduce wind resistance, and all terminals simultaneously switched to a closed-off control mode with zero vessels, vehicles, and personnel.
In accordance with the unified typhoon preparedness plan, operations for delivering and picking up empty and loaded containers were suspended starting at 08:00 and 10:00 respectively on Saturday.
According to weather forecasts, Huangshan City in east China's Anhui Province will experience heavy rain due to Bavi. Cumulative rainfall is expected to reach 130 to 200 millimeters, with certain areas potentially receiving 350 millimeters or more.
On Friday afternoon, the Anhui provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters activated a Level IV emergency response for flood and typhoon prevention in Huangshan.
Local authorities have pruned street trees to enhance their wind resistance. In addition, inspections were conducted to identify potential risks and hazards in high-altitude structures such as building exteriors, windows, balconies, outdoor air conditioning units, and billboards.
Due to Typhoon Bavi, Jizhou District in north China's Tianjin Municipality experienced heavy rain on Friday.
The red alert for rain and Level I flood control emergency response for Jizhou remain in effect. All villages across the district have stockpiled emergency supplies.
As of 22:00 Friday, the local authorities in Jizhou had evacuated a total of 3,611 residents.
According to the Beijing Meteorological Service, the Chinese capital is expected to experience torrential rain through Saturday night.
Currently, several parks and venues in the metropolis have been temporarily closed, and many districts have adjusted their cultural, tourism, sporting, and performance event schedules. A total of 73 elderly care facilities have been shut down, with all senior residents evacuated to safe areas.
According to the Beijing municipal flood control and drought relief office, more than 100,000 people have been evacuated citywide.
Eastern, northern China braces for Typhoon Bavi
