Northwestern Polytechnical University has once again achieved a new breakthrough! On June 23, the university's aerospace combined propulsion team successfully completed the "Feitian No. 2" flight test at an experimental site in northwest China. This flight marks a milestone breakthrough in the field of new aerospace propulsion in China, and for the first time internationally, it successfully obtained core scientific data on the kerosene/hydrogen peroxide propellant rocket ramjet combined propulsion system under three key actions: variable structure intake, variable thrust acceleration, and variable angle of attack autonomous flight.
The combined cycle engine verified in this "Feitian No. 2" mission demonstrates astonishing core capabilities:
"Zero-speed" ground takeoff: The engine can achieve takeoff from a stationary state without the need for a large booster, greatly simplifying the launch process.
Inter-domain "continuous speed change": It has broken through the autonomous, continuous, and smooth thrust conversion from takeoff acceleration to hypersonic (usually above five times the speed of sound) flight, with a very wide range of power coverage.
Free space-earth return: It successfully verified that the vehicle is capable of entering near-space outer space, returning safely to the atmosphere, and finally achieving full-process capability of "space-earth return" with complete ground recovery. This requires the engine to work reliably and efficiently in extremely different environments such as near-vacuum outer space, thin atmosphere during hypersonic flight, and dense atmosphere during re-entry.
Especially importantly, the "heart" of the "Feitian No. 2" power system uses ordinary kerosene fuel combined with hydrogen peroxide, which not only provides strong thrust but also significantly improves cost-effectiveness and safety, paving the way for future engineering applications. Traditional aerospace propulsion systems often rely on liquid hydrogen, high-heat-capacity fuels (such as JP-7), or solid propellants, which have problems such as high costs, complex storage and transportation, and strict infrastructure requirements. The "Feitian No. 2" uses kerosene/hydrogen peroxide propellant, directly addressing commercialization pain points: reduced fuel costs: Kerosene costs only 1/10 to 1/5 of liquid hydrogen, and its storage and transportation conditions are more relaxed, allowing it to rely on existing aviation fuel supply chains, greatly reducing maintenance costs; lowered technical barriers: no need for complex thermal management design (such as liquid hydrogen cooling systems), simplifying the engine structure and improving reliability.
This success is not isolated. In July 2022, "Feitian No. 1" had already achieved a smooth transition and wide-area operation of the combined propulsion engine across multiple modes (rocket/combustion, combustion, supersonic combustion, rocket/supersonic combustion), breaking through core technologies such as thermal throat regulation. "Feitian No. 2" further advanced this, achieving revolutionary progress in more complex autonomous flight control and space-earth return capabilities.
The wide-area flight capabilities verified (zero-speed takeoff → hypersonic → space → re-entry recovery) provide an ideal technological foundation for ultra-long-range air defense systems:
Variable thrust acceleration and multi-mode combustion technology enable missiles to have full-range self-adaptive power from low-speed boost to hypersonic cruise, meeting the needs of 2000 km interception; the waverider shape supports "skip-style" gliding at the edge of the atmosphere, enabling lateral maneuverability and significantly enhancing tracking capability for moving targets; kerosene fuel makes the single missile cost significantly lower than traditional solid-fuel missiles, suitable for large-scale deployment. It can intercept targets such as the US B-21 stealth bomber and early warning aircraft at distances of 1000-2000 km, compressing the enemy's standoff strike space. An 8-meter long, 3-ton weight is suitable for land-based launch vehicles and ship-launched vertical launch systems (such as the Type 055 destroyer), transforming into an "intercontinental air defense ship." The current technical challenges lie in the target indication system (requiring coordination of a space-based satellite constellation) and terminal guidance accuracy, but the "Feitian No. 2"’s variable angle of attack autonomous flight technology provides.
The successful flight test of "Feitian No. 2" not only provides a disruptive propulsion solution for China's aerospace transport system, but also establishes China's global leadership in the cutting-edge fields of hypersonic and aerospace combined propulsion. A vehicle that uses ordinary kerosene fuel, takes off vertically from a launch site, accelerates to hypersonic speeds, patrols the edge of space, and finally returns to the ground like an airplane for recovery is moving from the Northwest Polytechnical University's test site towards the vast future applications. The era of "wide-area freedom" in China's aerospace propulsion has begun with a stunning start!
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521549062739444266/
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