Quality inspection of Long March 3A: Important to guarantee launch success

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 10-25-2007 09:25

The Chang'e 1 Moon orbitor was launched by a Long March 3A rocket. This was the rocket's 15th successfully mission. One important factor in guaranteeing success is strict quality inspection.

Each component of the rocket is like the cell of a body. There are nearly 20,000 electronic components, and each must pass 14 rounds of reliability tests at this certification center before it can be installed in the rocket. For some components, even an error in the micron range is not allowed.

Cen Zheng, Chief commander of Long March 3A Carrier-rocket System, said, "Our purpose is to guarantee the quality of the product before it goes out of the factory. Every part of the technical manual must be correct and clear. We must also make sure there is no potential danger when the rocket is launched."

The rocket will only fly for 24 minutes. But every component must have a life span of over 10,000 hours.

Li Hong, Associate Dean of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, said, "We have a principle called chasing to the source. Whenever a problem occurs, the root cause must be found. Whether its a problem in the manufacturing process or with the materials, we must chase the problem till we find the root cause."

To guarantee the quality of the inspection work, every detail of the operation is carefully logged. That means the person responsible for the slightest mistake like putting a screw in the wrong place can be easily identified.

He Zuming, Chief designer of Long March 3A Carrier-rocket System, said, "The name on the operation hatch refers to the person responsible for opening and closing it. Any work inside this hatch must be registered by the person in charge, with precise details of the work done and the tools used."

And this strict quality control has paid off, assuring perfect performance of the Long March 3A rockets in accomplishing their missions.

Editor:Zhang Ning