On 9th December 2023, China-based private space technology firm, LandSpace Technology Corporation, successfully launched the Zhuque-2 Y-3, the world’s first liquid oxygen-methane powered launch vehicle, carrying 3 satellites, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Inner Mongolia region, China.
- With this, LandSpace became the World’s first company to launch satellites using a rocket fueled by Methane and liquid oxygen.
- The 3 satellites: Honghu satellite, Tianyi 33 satellite and Honghu-2 satellite, were launched into the predetermined orbit.
About Zhuque 2:
The Zhuque 2 rocket was 49.5 metres in length, had a diameter of 3.35m, and had a lift-off mass of 220 tonnes, excluding the payloads.
At present the rocket can take up to 1.5 tonnes into a 500-kilometre (Km) sun-synchronous orbit.
- With improvements, it will expand its payload capacity to 4 tonnes.
Note: The mission carried two 50kg test satellites developed by Chinese startup Spacety and one test satellite from a company named Hongqing.
Benefits of Methane:
i.Methane burns more cleanly than carbon-based fuels, prolonging the engine’s life and making it more applicable for reusable rockets.
ii.It is more stable and denser than liquid hydrogen (the most common rocket fuel); it can be stored at more manageable temperature.
Additional info:
LandSpace successfully test-launched a methane-liquid oxygen rocket in July 2023 and became the first in the world to do so.
Previously, liquid oxygen methane rockets- SpaceX’s Starship and Relativity Space’s Terran1 failed in their attempt to reach the orbit.
iSpace completes China’s First reusable Rocket test
China-based Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd., also known as iSpace, has launched “Hyperbola-2”, fuelled by methane–liquid oxygen, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China.
- With this, iSpace completed China’s first reusable launch vehicle test.
Key Points:
i.During the flight, It reached an altitude of 343.12 m with a flight time of 63.15 seconds.
ii.It landed with a landing speed of 1.1 m/s and a landing attitude angle of 1.18 degrees.
Note: The first state of the rocket was tested on 2nd November 2023 with a well-controlled descent and touchdown.
Launch of Hyperbola-3 in 2025:
i.iSpace announced to launch “Hyperbola-3” reusable launch vehicle in 2025.
ii.The 69m long rocket will be able to carry 8.5 tonnes toLEO (Low Earth Orbit) in reusable mode.
iii.It aims to conduct 25 Hyperbola-3 launches per year by 2030.
About China:
President– Xi Jinping
Capital– Beijing
Currency– Renminbi (Chinese Yuan )
