Shenyang-based company contributes to latest Chang’e lunar mission

A Long March 5 rocket blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Tuesday, putting the Chang'e 5 spacecraft into the planned Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

The lift-off marks the start of China's first uncrewed mission to collect soil and rock samples from the moon.

CASIC Shenyang Aerospace Xinguang Group Co, China's first aero engine repair and manufacturing plant, contributed to the rocket’s successful launch.

The company was established in 1987 and is headquartered in Shenyang, the capital city of Northeast China’s Liaoning province.

This time, the high-power hydrogen turbo pump mounted on the Long March 5 rocket, developed and produced by the Shenyang-based company, implemented various indicators and guaranteed the mission’s successful launch.

"As an ultra-high-speed precision turbo pump production contractor, it is our mission to complete product production, delivery and launch tasks with quality and quantity," said the person in charge of technology at the Shenyang-based company.

The hydrogen turbo pump is the core component of the rocket's first-stage engine servomechanism, which plays a vital role in controlling the rocket's flight attitude.

In the product manufacturing stage, the Shenyang company’s technicians used the original technology for reference. They also used a set of process systems involving mechanical processing, welding, electrolysis, precision grinding and assembly tests to ensure the product’s quality.