This paper proposes the architecture of an intelligent flight launcher system as well as fundamental solutions to capability prediction and dynamic planning. This effort reflects the latest progress in the applications of intelligent and autonomous technology for launcher flights. The paper first describes the characteristics and capabilities of intelligent and autonomous systems and classifies various related technologies. In the context of intelligent and autonomous technology in aerospace engineering, it then focuses on technical difficulties involved with intelligent flight and reviews developments in the field. An E3 classification model of an intelligent flight launcher is then proposed and its application scenarios are discussed. Based on an intelligent flight system configuration of the launcher, the online trajectory planning and initial value guess are examined, and vertical landing is provided as an example to explain the effects of the implementation of computational intelligence to flight systems.

The Long March 11 launch vehicle (LM-11) is the only solid launch vehicle within China’s new-generation launch vehicle series, enabling a full spectrum of Chinese launch vehicles. Compared with other China’s LM series launch vehicles, it has the shortest launch preparation time. With the characteristics of appropriate launch capability, quick response, easy-to-use, flexible operation, universal interface and strong task adaptability, LM-11 can better meet the launch requirements for various small networking satellite, replacement and for emergency use. After four successful launches, LM-11 has become the main Chinese launch vehicle oriented to the international small satellite commercial launch market.

Following the successful maiden flight of the Long March 11 (LM-11) launch vehicle from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in September 2015, the first sea-launched carrier rocket dedicated to provide a launch service for small satellites and their constellations, the Long March 11 Sea Launch (LM-11SL) has been under development by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) and the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC). It is planned to commence launch service in 2018. Based on the LM-11, a land-launched four-staged solid launch vehicle which has entered the market and accomplished launch missions for several small satellites in the past 3 years, the newly adopted sea launch technology enables transport and launch of LM-11SL from maritime ships, providing flexible launch location selection.
After inheriting the mature launch vehicle technologies from previous members of the Long March launch vehicle family and adopting a new way of launching from the sea, the LM-11SL is capable of sending payloads into low Earth orbits with all altitudes and inclinations, from 200 km to 1000 km, from equatorial to sun synchronous, within a shortduration launch campaign. The LM-11SL provides a flexible, reliable and economical launch service for the global small satellite industry.

The CubeSat refers to the low-cost nano satellite produced by international standards. The QB50 project is “an International Network of 50 double CubeSats for multi-point, in-situ, long-duration measurements in the lower thermosphere and re-entry research”. There are 23 countries and region participated in the QB50 Project. 38 CubeSats were developed and launched. Among them, four CubeSats developed by Chinese universities were sent to orbit (Three were deployed from the International Space Station, and one was launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PLSV). They are Aoxiang-1 (Northwestern Polytechnical University, the Asia coordinator), LilacSat-1 (Harbin Institute of Technology), NJUST-2 (Nanjing University of Science and Technology) and NUDTsat (National University of Defense Technology). Through the development of the QB50 Project, Chinese researchers and students got in touch with the concept of CubeSat and gained experience of international scientific cooperation. A lot of students took part in the assembly, integration, and test of spacecraft, which is helpful to the training of space talents. Now, many universities and institutes have the capabilities to develop CubeSats and the subsystems independently.

Today, the “division” thought of “Reductionism” makes people feel helpless and gradually recognize the consequence of the social alienation. Based on 20 years’ experience in America, 28 years’ practice in China’s space industry, and nearly 30 years’ research in his later years, QIAN Xuesen integrated the Western Reductionism with the Eastern Holism to form the QIAN Xuesen think tank thought and the Hall for Workshop of Metasynthetic Engineering from qualitative to quantitative, promoting space internationalization to play an irreplaceable role in the development of technology, engineering and industrialization.