Flying High in the Clouds 

September 28 to October 3 ★ Zhuhai 

On September 28, 2021, the 13th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition with the theme of “Flying High in the Clouds” was opened at Zhuhai International Airshow Center. The airshow was held at the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and this year is also the beginning of the 14th Five-year Plan. As the backbone of China’s defense-related science and technology industries, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology exhibited 43 products this time. The products were exhibited in various forms such as real objects, models, interactive demonstration, and multimedia display in the three exhibition areas of the exhibition hall of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, namely, space navigation, air defense, and space technology application and service industry, which demonstrated the new progress of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology in the fields of missiles, rockets, satellites, spacecraft and space probes from all aspects in a 3D way. 

At the airshow, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology exhibited a wide variety of products, including “Tianwen 1” Mars orbiter, digital moon and simulation demonstration system, flexible solar flap and some other national major projects, China’s first solid-liquid combined Long March 6A launch vehicle, Fengyun series of meteorological satellites that can probe the mystery of the atmosphere and clouds, as well as the new concept products such as the replenishment service aircraft known as the “space tanker”, and LY-70 new short-range air defense missile system and LM-1 laser chariot that made their first public appearance, and so on. 

In the defense equipment exhibition area 

The AMM-10 air superiority multi-mission missile that can realize air-to-air interception beyond the horizon and anti-radiation and strike against the ground, LY-70 new short-range air defense missile system that can realize multi-vehicle coordinated defense in travelling, and LM-1 laser weapon carrier which can realize the powerful combination of missile and laser debuted at the air show. There were also star products that had been displayed at Zhuhai Airshow, such as LY-80 extended-range air defense missiles, LY-80N carrier-based area defense missiles, FB-10A mobile accompanying air defense missiles, FN-16 portable missiles, Hidden Blade light and small-scale missiles, and FN-M unmanned weapon carriers. 

In the launch vehicle exhibition area 

Long March 6 launch vehicle that has finished 7 flight tests successfully and China’s first solid-liquid combined new generation launch vehicle Long March 6A modified from Long March 6 launch vehicle debuted at the airshow. Long March 6A is developed with the current technology based on the successful maiden flight of the new generation of launch vehicle. It adopts the modularized, combined and serialization design. Different numbers of solid boosters and liquid core stages are combined to form the launch vehicle series with a rational carrying capacity and higher cost performance. It has the characteristics of “cross-border cooperation, unattended operation, intelligent diagnosis, and accurate landing point”. 

In the satellite exhibition area 

Fengyun series of satellites also debuted at the airshow. As a pioneer of China’s atmospheric observation satellite, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has developed and launched 19 Fengyun meteorological satellites of two generation and four types from Fengyun-1 to Fengyun-4, which has realized coordinated high-orbit and low-orbit networking. It can realize the all-weather, all-time, full-spectrum, three-dimensional, and quantitative observation of the global atmosphere, ocean and ground surface environment, and has been transformed from trials and tests to business services. Among them, Fengyun-3E is the first dawn orbit meteorological satellite (also known as the terminator orbit satellite) in the Fengyun satellite series, and it’s also the world first sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellite that has realized the operation in the dawn orbit. After Fengyun-3E reaches the fixed point in the orbit, it forms a “dawn, morning and afternoon” networked operation pattern with Fengyun-3C and 3D, and can realize 100% coverage of the global observational data. 

Among the new concept exhibits 

China’s first solar exploration satellite-solar Hα spectrum detection and dual ultra-high platform (ultra-high pointing accuracy and ultra-high stability) science and technology experiment satellite attracted much attention. The satellite adopts the platform with ultra-high pointing accuracy and ultra-high stability. The platform adopts the separable configuration design concept and method with two cabins (platform cabin and load cabin) innovatively, and will carry out two major tasks in the orbit, namely, scientific exploration of the solar eruption source and in-orbit technical identification of the dual ultra-high platform. The satellite will be launched this year. Its success will mark China’s formal entry to the Solar Exploration Era. 

Besides, the replenishment service aircraft known as the “space tanker” was also popularized among the audience. It has the function of “autonomous driving” and can carry 1.3t fuels at one time. The weight of the fuels can take up 52% of its own weight. It can replenish fuels in orbit to the satellite at the end of their life to prolong its in-orbit service life. 

The moon is the only natural satellite of the earth. Today when technology and civilization are highly developed, people are not only absorbed by the bright moon in the air. At the airshow, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology integrated and applied the scientific data of domestic and foreign lunar explorations, and created the digital moon and task simulation system which attracted the attention of the people. This system can display the precise features of the moon and interpret the moon with data, and make data a powerful tool for people to know about and explore the moon. 

At the airshow, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology exhibited various knock-out products and key technologies in the space technology application industry, such as wide-area radar for large-scale traffic scenes, automotive fuel cell system, and forming and application of high-performance heat-resistant cast magnesium alloy materials. 

At the airshow, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology also exhibited the laser processing technology and intelligent production unit of complex light alloy components, high-end intelligent friction stir welding equipment, and portable quick-check mass spectrometers, which showed the ability and level of intelligent aerospace manufacturing. 

Since 1996, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has been developing with Air Show China for many years. In the past 25 years, it evolved from the single model development to simultaneous development in various fields, which showed its achievements in development in an all-around way. Since the first airshow, the exhibits of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology have increased exponentially. There have been more and more visitors and aerospace fans from home and abroad in front of the stands. This is not only the growth of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, but also the evidence showing that the diversity of exhibits, interactivity between visitors, and international influence of Air Show China are increasing. This has provided a valuable way for exhibition of the enterprise in the defense-related science and technology industry like Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. 

Some pictures are from the WeChat Official Account of Zhuhai Airshow.