The successful maiden flight of the Long March 2 rocket! Building a rocket like playing with building blocks, how can we reduce the launch costs?

On March 30th, Sina Finance reported, "The Long March 2D, which is being launched for the first time, was developed based on the Long March 1." Lin Jie, deputy chief designer of the Long March 2D, told China News Weekly that the avionics and flight control systems of the Long March 2D carrier rocket are inherited mature products from the Long March 1. The flight control combination and timing control combination have achieved consistency in products or indicators, and the three-layer architecture software of the basic layer, link layer, and application layer has achieved porting and reuse, shortening the electrical measurement time from about a month to within a week, significantly reducing the testing cycle and testing cost. Lin Jie said, "In order to better control costs, the Long March 2D adopts a universal, combined, modular design, making it the first domestically produced carrier rocket with a 'universal booster core' configuration. Both the core stage and boosters have a diameter of 3.35 meters, which is a commonly used diameter in China's rocket industry." What benefits do universal and modular design bring? Lin Jie said that this means that when problems occur with related products at the launch site or assembly plant, quick replacement and reuse can be achieved. "Firstly, it can shorten the corresponding launch cycle. For example, if the rocket needs to undertake transportation-related missions soon but there are issues during testing, it can be quickly replaced and used interchangeably using a rolling backup, enabling the rocket to achieve high-frequency launches in a short period of time." Lin Jie also mentioned that rockets can be assembled like building blocks, speeding up the rocket manufacturing process. "We plan to continuously optimize the rocket's reuse mode and gradually increase the rocket recovery rate to 60%, thus significantly reducing launch costs. Rocket propulsion accounts for 75% of the entire rocket's cost. Once booster recovery and reuse are achieved, the launch price of the rocket is expected to be reduced to one-third of the current price, or even lower," Lin Jie said.