Technicians of CHALCO Northeast Light Alloy Co check the produced aluminum alloys in the factory. [Photo/MY399.COM]

China's Long March 5B carrier rocket made its first flight on May 5 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in China’s southernmost Hainan province, marking a new chapter in the country's manned space program, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
 
CHALCO Northeast Light Alloy Co, recognized in 1995 as China's largest aluminum-magnesium alloy processing base by the State Council – China’s Cabinet – contributed to the successful launch of the rocket, officials said.
 
The company is headquartered in Harbin, capital city of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province.
 
For many years, as the designated manufacturer of aluminum alloy materials for the Long March series of launch vehicles, the Harbin company has undertaken research and production for important aluminum alloy materials such as the shell skin, tank materials, high-strength body ring forgings and key structural connector profiles required by the launch vehicles.
 
This time, it provided more than 200 metric tons of aluminum alloy materials for the guidance arrows of the Long March 5B launch vehicle.
 
The aluminum alloy sheets developed by the company have the characteristics of high strength, high toughness, corrosion resistance and super plasticity.
 
They can resist the huge pressures, temperature differences and gravity problems of the rocket during flight, effectively reducing the strength loss of the material and the aircraft body weight.