What are the Rockets' food, clothing, housing and transportation like? Let's talk about the Rockets' journey

This year, the Long March series of rockets will carry out more than 20 aerospace launch missions, represented by six flight missions, including the launch of the space station's Wentian module, Mengtian module, cargo supply, and manned flight.

Facing more intensive tasks

A more difficult mission and a greater responsibility

Astronauts have already

Food, clothing, housing and transportation

All taken care of

Let me show you around.

eat

It is said that only when you are full can you have strength. Space is so big, so our rockets must also be "full" before they can fly into space!

Our food is quite special, it is a variety of fuels. Liquid rocket brothers "eat" nitrogen tetroxide, unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine, liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, kerosene, etc., while solid rocket brothers "eat" solid fuels.

Every time we fly into space, we "consume" 90% or even more of our body weight in fuel.

(Image source: CCTV.com screenshot)

Taking the Xiaoqi brothers as an example, its total weight is more than 500 tons. The weight of the rocket body, cables, instruments, etc. added together is only more than 50 tons, and the rest is the weight of liquid oxygen and kerosene propellant.

These foods help us to fly smoothly, and the color of the smoke during ignition and takeoff can also determine what kind of fuel the rocket brothers are "eating".

Reddish Brown Smoke:

It is nitrogen tetroxide, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine

At 11:03 on June 11, my country successfully launched Beijing Satellite No. 3A into its planned orbit using the Long March 2D carrier rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Zheng Taotao)

White smoke:

Liquid oxygen, kerosene, liquid hydrogen

At 20:55 on May 29, the Long March 7 Y3 carrier rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft was ignited and launched at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan.

Orange-brown smoke:

It is solid fuel

…

wear

We Rockets also love beauty and wear uniform white uniforms when we go out.

Each rocket has different sizes according to height and body shape. Special mention should be made of the Fat Five Brothers here. Its uniform size is the largest, but it is not fat but really strong. It can send the weight of 16 cars into space in one flight.

(Photo source: Xinhuanet)

Of course, our uniforms are not simple. They also have functions such as moisture-proof, mildew-proof, salt spray-proof, heat-proof and cold-proof, allowing us to calmly deal with various complex environments during storage, transportation, refueling and flight.

Some white uniforms will have many "decorations", which are the grids and rings on the arrow body.

(Long March 7 carrier rocket. Image source: First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation)

These "little decorations" are not just for appearance, they are very useful. Through them, rocket developers can perform optical measurements and keep track of our rockets at all times.

live

Everyone knows that a rocket is made up of tens of thousands of parts. Before we left the factory, we lived in the factory, where the rocket developers assembled the parts together, checked our bodies, and finally went to the launch area.

In order to make us live comfortably, the rocket developers allow us to "lie down" or "stand" in the factory.

Vertical Transition ▶

◀ Horizontal Transition

During the transfer phase, we are also free and can "lie down" or "stand".

The horizontal transfer is "lying". After we complete the final assembly of the core stage, fairing and other sections of the rocket, we "ly" transport them to the launch area, and then complete the hoisting, docking and testing of the rocket on the launch tower.

Vertical transfer means "standing". After we complete the hoisting, docking and testing of the rocket in the final assembly and test plant, we "stand" up and transport it to the launch tower as a whole. The Shenjian, Fat Five, Xiaoqi, Xiaoba and other rocket brothers are all "standing".

OK

Some people may be curious whether it is inconvenient for "giants" like us to travel.

Don’t be afraid, the rocket developers have made special and thoughtful arrangements for us to go to different destinations!

railway

This is the only way for brothers to go to the inland launch site. Taking this means of transportation, you can enjoy the scenery along the way and slowly drive to the destination, but only rocket brothers with a waist thickness of 3.35 meters can choose to take it.

Ocean Freight

Those who are larger and going to the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan can take a boat. This mode of travel allows the rocket's waistline to no longer be restricted by factors such as tunnels and culverts, and the boat ride is also very comfortable.

highway

We have our own transport vehicle, which is much larger than ordinary transport vehicles, but very agile and can safely take us to our destination. When we choose sea transportation, we have to take a car first and then a boat.

In fact, there is one last link - launch. Our rockets can handle this "air transportation" link by themselves.

How about it

Our food, clothing, housing and transportation are pretty good, right?

Under the care of rocket developers

It will get better

Thank you for your hard work.

I also hope that our rocket launches this year will be

Complete success

Source: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology official WeChat public account

Editor/Yang Sishuang

Review/Yang Jie

Producer/Xu Chunmei