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Launch of Long March 11
長征十一號運載火箭再傳佳音
Among all the Long March rockets, Long March 11 is, without question, the star. It's the first and only solid-fuel rocket in the Long March family. It's also the first rocket in China that has completed a seaborne mission – from the Yellow Sea in June 2019. And now its successful launch on May 30 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province has, again, set new records.
在所有長征系列運載火箭之中，長征十一號運載火箭是當之無愧的尖子生——它是長征系列運載火箭家族第一型，也是唯一一型固體運載火箭。2019年6月，長征十一號運載火箭在我國黃海海域成功實施首次海上發(fā)射。而如今，長征十一號運載火箭5月30日在四川西昌衛(wèi)星發(fā)射中心的成功發(fā)射，再次刷新了記錄。
It was the first time that the Long March 11 had been launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Among its previous eight launches, seven were from Gansu's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and one from the sea, Peng Kunya, the chief designer of the rocket, told Xinhua News Agency.
這是長征十一號運載火箭首次在西昌衛(wèi)星發(fā)射中心執(zhí)行發(fā)射任務(wù)。在此前的8次發(fā)射任務(wù)中，有7次是在酒泉衛(wèi)星發(fā)射中心執(zhí)行發(fā)射任務(wù)，還有1次則是在海上，長征十一號火箭總設(shè)計師彭昆雅在接受新華社采訪時如此說道。
A new launch platform was also used in the mission, which helped the rocket better adapt to the new environment. According to Guangming News, the new platform is highly integrated and intelligent, allowing the preparation time of the launch to be significantly reduced. China's capability to launch rockets in a short time has "reached a new level", Jin Xin, deputy commander-in-chief of the Long March 11 mission, said in a press conference.
任務(wù)執(zhí)行過程中還使用了一個全新的發(fā)射平臺實施發(fā)射，這有助于火箭更好地適應(yīng)新環(huán)境。據(jù)《光明日報》報道，這個全新的發(fā)射平臺具有高度集成、高度智能的特點，能夠大幅縮短發(fā)射準備時間。我國短時間內(nèi)發(fā)射火箭的能力“達到了一個新階段”，長征十一號火箭副總指揮金鑫在一場新聞發(fā)布會上如此表示。
The mission also marked the first use of a 2-meter-diameter fairing on the Long March 11. A fairing is the structure outside of a rocket that is able to streamline the rocket and reduce drag. It's also what "wraps" satellites, protecting them from the increasing pressure and heat when a rocket travels through the atmosphere. A 1.6-meter-diameter fairing was previously used on Long March 11. But this time, two satellites – tasked with conducting inter-satellite data link and Earth observation tests – were onboard the rocket, requiring a wider fairing.
此次任務(wù)還在長征十一號火箭上首次采用2米直徑整流罩。整流罩是火箭外部用于減少阻力的一層流線型結(jié)構(gòu)。它還能“包裹”衛(wèi)星，保護它們在運載火箭穿越大氣層時不受逐漸增加的氣壓與溫度的影響。長征十一號火箭過去使用的是1.6米直徑的整流罩。但這一次，火箭上載有兩顆用于在軌開展星間鏈路組網(wǎng)及新型對地觀測技術(shù)試驗的衛(wèi)星，需要一個更大的整流罩。
"A fairing measuring 2 meters in diameter leaves more space for satellites," added Jin.
“2米直徑整流罩為衛(wèi)星提供了更大的使用空間，”金鑫補充道。
Long March 11 has indeed proven itself as "the most adaptable carrier rocket in China", according to Xinhua. But designers didn't stop there. In fact, they have begun to develop an upgraded version of the Long March 11 – called the Long March 11A – which will be even wider, taller and have greater thrust. The new model is expected to make its maiden flight around 2022.
據(jù)新華社報道，長征十一號火箭被充分證實是“國內(nèi)適應(yīng)性最強的運載火箭”。但設(shè)計師們卻并未止步于此。事實上，他們已經(jīng)啟動升級版的長征十一號火箭——長征十一號甲固體運載火箭的研制，該型固體火箭更寬、更大、起飛推力更強，計劃在2022年首飛。
