Multiple composite materials products of CNBM group supported the launch of the Shenzhou 19 manned spacecraft

The large-size, multi-opening propulsion subsystem’s main load-bearing thin-walled reinforced truncated cone, independently developed and produced by the Harbin Institute of Technology, a subsidiary of the China National Building Materials Research Institute, is a large-scale composite carbon fibre product, used in the history of human spaceflight in China. The thin-walled (thinnest part 1.2 mm) truncated cone structure features the following characteristics: light weight, high strength, high precision and large load-bearing capacity. Since 1995, the Harbin Institute of Technology has been responsible for the development of spacecraft propulsion cabin load-bearing truncated cones and gas bottle mounting brackets, and has contributed to the “Shenzhou” series of manned spacecraft many times.

For its part, a subsidiary of CNBM’s Sinoma Technology has developed an anti-/heat-insulating integrated medium-density premix for key parts of the Shenzhou 19 manned spacecraft, and a high-performance ablation-resistant resin used in the bottom heat shield and escape tower of the Long March 2F launch vehicle engine. Moreover, the high-strength yarns developed by another subsidiary of Sinoma Technology are used in the heat-proof structural parts of the Long March 2F launch vehicle and the heat insulation layer of the Shenzhou 19 manned spacecraft return module.

Cover photo: CNBM