China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
CALT
Native name
中国运载火箭技术研究院
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAerospace
FoundedNovember 16, 1957; 67 years ago (1957-11-16)[1]
Headquarters
Beijing, China
Key people
  • Wang Xiaojun
    (President and Deputy Party Secretary)
  • Li Minghua
    (Party Secretary and Vice President)[2]
Products
ServicesOrbital rocket launch
Total assetsIncrease CN¥103.795 billion (2020)[3]
Number of employees
33,000[3] (May 2020)
Parent CASC
Websitewww.calt.com
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
Simplified Chinese中国运载火箭技术研究院
Traditional Chinese中國運載火箭技術研究院
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōngguó Yùnzài Huǒjiàn Jìshù Yánjiūyuàn
CALT
Chinese火箭院
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHuǒjiàn Yuàn

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) is a major state-owned civilian and military space launch vehicle manufacturer in China and one of the major launch service providers in the world. CALT is a subsidiary of the larger China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). It was established in 1957 by Dr. Xue-Sen Qian and is headquartered in Fengtai District, Beijing.[4]

Its major contribution to China's civilian and military launch capability has been the manufacture of the Long March family of rockets.[5][6] CALT has over 33,000 employees.[6] The current Chief Designer is Long Lehao (龙乐豪).[7]

CALT is also planning two spaceplanes. They would both be single-stage to space sub-orbital rocketplanes. One would be a 10-ton 4-passenger plane that would fly to 100 km at Mach 6. The other would be a 100-ton 20-passenger plane that would fly to 130 km at Mach 8. They would be equipped with liquid methane/liquid oxygen rocket engines. The larger spaceplane would also be able to carry a strap-on space rocket, making it function as the first stage of a two-stage to orbit space launch platform. That rocket would launch above the Karman line, and lift 1–2 tons to LEO.[8]

In 2021, following tests by CALT, United States Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III stated that China was developing and testing a fractional orbital bombardment system.[9][10][better source needed][relevant?]

  1. ^ "California Business Search (C2414622 - Space Exploration Technologies Corp)". California Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  2. ^ "Leadership Team - China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology". CALT Official Website. CALT. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "About US - Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology". www.calt.com. CALT. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology - CALT 1st Academy - China Nuclear Forces". fas.org. Archived from the original on 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  5. ^ Clark, Stephen. "China launches three military satellites, tests new rocket steering fins". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Lin, Jeffrey; Singer, P.W. (July 19, 2018). "China's super-sized space plans may involve help from Russia". Popular Science. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. With this size and lift, China's Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) Chief Designer Long Lehao announced that the Long March 9 will be capable of lifting 140 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO), 50 tons to Earth-Moon transfer orbit, and 44 tons to Earth-Mars transfer orbit (140 tons is right between the projected lifts of NASA's Space Launch System (130 tons) and SpaceX's 150 ton BFR).
  8. ^ Jeffrey Lin (7 October 2016). "China's Private Space Industry Prepares To Compete With SpaceX And Blue Origin". Popular Science. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  9. ^ Axe, David (October 16, 2021). "Report: China Has Tested A Nuke That Can Dodge American Radars". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  10. ^ Watt, Louise; Parekh, Marcus (2021-10-17). "'We have no idea how they did this': Secret hypersonic launch shows China streaking ahead in arms race". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2021-10-17.