Photo: Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology/The Paper

China rolled out the largest integrally formed propellant tank bottom of the new launch vehicle in the country, which was built using new spinning technology developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) with a diameter of 3.8 meters, The Paper published on Tuesday.

The entire length of the tank is 21 meters, which is one of the longest units to launch vehicles in China, according to the report. 

The successful closing of the tank was a milestone in the development of the new launch vehicle. The tank accounts for over 60 percent of a rocket's structural weight, according to the report.

The bottom of the propellant tank is one of the key components of the launch vehicle tank and the technology of "block forming combined with welding" is widely used in China.

In order to meet the requirements of lightweight and rapid manufacturing of the new launch vehicle, integral spinning technology was applied during the manufacturing of the propellant tank instead of the traditional techniques, said the report. The bottom of the tank is like a thin "big bowl," with a diameter of 3.8 meters, a height of 1.2 meters and a minimum thickness of between 2 and 3 millimeters.