/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15463686
> SpaceX has developed an automated system called the “Falcon 9 Integrated Assembly Line” that uses synchronised pulses to move rocket components through the assembly process quickly and efficiently. The method allows SpaceX to produce more rockets at a lower cost than traditional methods.

> It costs about US$3,000 to put 1kg (2.2 pounds) of cargo into low-Earth orbit (LEO) using the existing Long March rockets, similar to that of SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rockets, according to a recent report by researchers at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the nation’s largest rocket manufacturer.

> By using the latest digital design and simulation tools, “the development cycle was shortened by 12 months, and a large amount of test funds were saved”, the team said in the paper.

>Long’s team said that the Long March 8 rocket is optimised to send satellites to the sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 700km (435 miles), higher than most Starlink satellites, which operate at about 550km.