Smart Skynet-1 01 Satellite's Dual-Mode 490-Newton Engine and Its Success

TapTechNews May 24th news, according to China Aerospace News, from May 10th to May 23rd, the dual-mode 490-newton engine equipped on the Smart Skynet-1 01 satellite successively carried out 4 orbit-changing operations, with a cumulative working time of approximately 5482 seconds, successfully completing the predetermined orbit-changing task.

According to TapTechNews' previous report, at 9:43 am on May 9, 2024, the Long March 3B carrier rocket ignited and lifted off successfully at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, sending the Smart Skynet-1 01 satellite into the预定 orbit, and the launch mission achieved a complete success.

'Smart Skynet' is a mid-orbit pan-synchronous orbit space-based network solution originally proposed by Tsinghua University. With 8 mid-orbit broadband communication network satellites as a group, they are deployed in an orbit at an altitude of 20,000 kilometers to form a global communication constellation, and can be expanded as needed to 16 satellites (two groups), 32 satellites (four groups), and other coverage networks.

The Smart Skynet-1 01 satellite is equipped with a dual-mode 490-newton engine as the orbit control engine, which is also the first application of this type of engine in the field of space propulsion in China.

Ten years ago, the 801 Institute of the Sixth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology started the technical research and development work of the dual-mode 490-newton engine. Among them, how to solve the relevant safety issues and balance the engine performance and working reliability has become the key difficulty in the development work.

The research and development team carried out key technical research and development from many aspects. Through a series of optimization and iteration, the final technical plan was determined to ensure that the working temperature is within the allowable range of the materials, and the vacuum specific impulse is more than 321 seconds, reaching the highest level of domestic engineering applications of similar engines.

The development and successful in-orbit application of the dual-mode 490-newton engine provide more power system solutions for the expansion of our subsequent space missions.