Chinese commercial launch firm Landspace is preparing for the second test flight of stairs of its Zhuque-2 arugula , setting the stage for a groundbreaking achievement , should the methane - fuel projectile successfully reach orbit .
Zhuque-2 , intend “ Vermillion Bird-2 , ” is scheduled to launch on July 12 , 2023 , at 2:00 a.m. ET from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert , accordingto NextSpaceflight . The rocket ’s success could usher in a new epoch of methalox - power rocket engines for orbital and interplanetary transportation . The global spaceflight biotic community will doubtlessly be keeping a close eye on this coming launching as Landspace search to demo the viability of methalox rocket fuel . As of yet , no information has been reveal about the rocket ’s payload .
Methalox is fast becoming the preferent rocket fuel for launch providers . The benefit of methalox ( a methane - oxygen mix ) are deemed to be more attractive than conventional liquid fuel like kerosene due to its cleaner , safer properties , and is view as especially suitable for recyclable rockets . And conceivably , it could be manufactured off planet , including on Mars . Several big quad caller are developing rocket that will habituate the fuel , including SpaceX ’s Starship , Rocket Lab ’s Neutron , Blue Origin ’s New Glenn , and Relativity Space ’s Terran R.
The Zhuque-2 rocket.Photo:Landspace
The first launching of the 162 - foot - tall ( 49.5 meters ) rocket did n’t go so well . Zhuque-2 go wrong to reach electron orbit during its maiden flighton December 14 , 2022 , resulting in the destruction of all 14 planet on board . Investigations draw the consequence to a defective second - stage liquid oxygen inlet pipe , asreportedby SpaceNews . A successful mission this time would see Landspace becoming the 2d individual Chinese companionship to conduct a successful launch with a liquid propellant rocket salad , afterSpace Pioneer achieved the featin April with its Tianlong-2 garden rocket .
Equipped with gas generator engines , the Zhuque-2 is open of producing 243 metric tons of thrust , and it boast a payload capacity of 6 metrical tons to low Earth orbit — or a trim down payload capacity of 4 metric piles to a Sun - synchronal orbit , the company claim .
The evolution of the Zhuque-2 play a significant shift in Landspace ’s strategy , which to begin with focused on solid propellants like the one used in the three - degree Zhuque-1 rocket , whichfailed to reach orbitduring its first and only launching . Landspace and the Zhuque-2 are intersection of the Chinese government ’s commitment to opening up the space sphere to private manufacture , a process that began nearly 10 age ago .
Two other methalox - drive rockets failed to reach field during their first flights , namelySpaceX ’s StarshipandRelativity Space ’s 3-D - print Terran-1 , the latter being withdraw and replaced with Terran - R. A individual launch provider , one would think , will eventually run up a methane - fueled skyrocket to orbit . This come Wednesday , it could very well be Landspace .
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