China conducts fifth quiet test of Long March rocket grid fins to achieve reusability ambition

BIG LEAP: Grid fins represent a major advancement for Chinese rocket program, as the new re-entry video from a recent Long March 2D launch shows grid fins in action. On May 20, 2024, the Long March 2D carrier rocket successfully sent the Beijing 3C satellite constellation into the predetermined orbit at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, and the launch mission was a complete success. The rocket was equipped with a grid rudder landing area control system, which successfully completed a series of actions such as unlocking-deployment-control command rotation during the re-entry phase of the first stage of the rocket, and successfully achieved precise landing area control again, ensuring the safety of the landing area environment. So far, the grid rudder control system developed by Shanghai Aerospace has successfully completed five flight tests. In November 3, 2019 the grid rudder system was successfully launched in China for the first time on the Long March 4B rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, achieving the design goal of reducing the landing area of the first-stage debris by 85 percent. The first flight test was a complete success. The successful implementation of grid fins will mark a significant leap in China’s space endeavors, positioning it as a formidable competitor in the increasingly dynamic field of orbital flights. #chinaspace #longmacrh2d #longmarch4c