VESSEL REVIEW | Interstellar Return – Rocket recovery barge to support China's commercial spaceflight sector
Jiangsu Runyang Shipbuilding in China recently handed over a new rocket recovery vessel ordered by local aerospace company the Interstellar Glory Space Technology Group.
Interstellar Return (星际归航; Xingji Guihang) is China’s first purpose-built vessel used for the recovery of reusable launch vehicles. Its introduction into service makes China the second country in the world to operate rocket recovery vessels after the United States.
The non-self-propelled vessel has a length of 100 metres (330 feet), a beam of 42 metres (140 feet), a depth of 6.5 metres (21 feet), a displacement of approximately 18,000 tons, and an open deck with a total area of 2,400 square metres (26,000 square feet). The large deck space makes the vessel suitable for recovery of low-orbit cargo vehicles and space tourism vehicles in offshore waters.
Enhanced safety features
A DP2 system will enable the vessel to safely recover both medium and large reusable rockets in offshore waters in conditions of up to sea state four, while navigation will be possible even under sea state five. The DP2 system will also help the vessel achieve and maintain the correct attitude so that rockets measuring 40 metres or longer can safely land on the deck without collapsing due to wave or current motion.
The vessel offers advantages such as being environment-friendly and having intelligent systems, according to Huang Xuewei, Chairman of Jiangsu Runyang Shipbuilding.
The intelligent systems significantly enhance safety by providing the option of having the vessel conduct rocket recovery operations even without embarked crews.
For added safety, the vessel is fitted with explosion-proof barriers on both ends of the deck, a gas monitoring system, and an automatic fixed fire suppression system. These will help lower the vessel’s risk of being destroyed in the event of an accident during the recovery phase.
Fitted with rocket storage and maintenance facilities
The vessel is also equipped for storage, testing, and maintenance of rocket stages. Complete testing and maintenance of two first-stage rockets can be completed within 72 hours, thus significantly increasing the rate of reuse and reducing the need to acquire newbuild rockets (and in turn reducing costs).
All of the major components of the vessel are locally manufactured, from the steel used for the hull and the deck to the power and electronic control systems. Because the parts are locally sourced, replacements can become available in significantly less time compared to having these shipped from overseas, thereby streamlining logistics and maximising vessel uptime.
Development of Interstellar Homecoming lasted approximately 16 months from the initial design work to its final commissioning and delivery.
