Overview
- Chinese researchers reported a solid rocket motor ignited and ran stably in a lab setup that simulated 200 meters underwater, with findings published in the journal Tactical Missile Technology.
- The team from Zhengzhou’s Mechano-Electrical Engineering Institute and a partner underwater lab built a deep-water simulation platform that used compressed air, ballast-style pressure control, sensors, and high-speed cameras.
- Test data showed combustion pressure at the simulated depth matched ground-test levels, indicating reliable burning under high external pressure in a confined water-filled space.
- The motor used hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene propellant with a 2.2 kg ignition charge and an approximately five-second burn, and separate reporting noted thrust dropped by about 32.7% at the simulated depth as hot exhaust carved a brief gas channel through cold water.
- Researchers and media linked the work to China’s push to explore deeper launch options than the roughly 30-meter norm for submarine missiles, citing extensive ocean-floor mapping and civil–military fusion, yet no seabed-launch capability has been verified.