This thread is about Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology proposal for Chinese Lunar rocket or the 921 Rocket. The winning proposal was the one from CALT, which is what become what we now know as Long March 10. A tricore configuration rocket compose of 2 5m diameter boosters and 1 5m diameter core in the first stage, each powered by 7 x YF-100K engines. YF-100K is a staged combustion kerolox engine capable of outputting 130 tons of thrust, an uprated version of existing YF-100 engine.
What SAST propose is somewhat different. Instead of the first stage core and it booster being 5m in diameters, the booster and the core is only 3.8m in diameter. Each of the booster is thus each powered by 4 x YF-100K engine. Instead of Tricore arrangement of CALT proposal, SAST proposal goes with Pentacore (1 central core surrounded by 4 boosters) arrangement. However, Tricore and single stick is also proposed for mission that require less payload.
The payload capacity in Lunar variant seems to be the same as CALT winning proposal which is 70 tons to Low Earth Orbit. Tricore arrangement can do 28 tons to LEO, and single stick variant can do 10 tons to LEO.
While SAST Lunar rocket proposal did not win, it seems something might still have come out of that program. SAST’s Long March 12 rocket (at least the initial expendable version) which will have it maiden launch on November 30 2024, is likely to be derived from their work on 921 rocket. Since it is essentially single stick variant of SAST’s Lunar Rocket, albeit with payload seemingly boosted to 12.5 tons to LEO.
Tricore variant might still be in the work, but lunar pentacore variant is unlikely to be built.
Edit:Apology if I use any term wrong, I have no background in engineering. So if I made any glaring mistake feel free to correct me.
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