Zhuque-2

Zhuque-2
	Rendering of Zhuque-2
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	LandSpace
Country of origin	China
Size
Height	Zhuque-2: 49.5 m (162 ft); Zhuque-2E: 47.3 m (155 ft)
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass	219,000 kg (483,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) 200 km
Mass	Zhuque-2: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb); Zhuque-2E: 6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
Payload to Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)
Mass	Zhuque-2: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb); Zhuque-2E: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb)
Launch history
Status	Zhuque 2: Retired; Zhuque 2E: Active;
Launch sites	Jiuquan Site 96;
Total launches	4;
Success(es)	3;
Failure(s)	1
First flight	14 December 2022;
Last flight	27 November 2024
First stage
Powered by	4 × TQ-12
Maximum thrust	2,680 kN (273 tf; 600,000 lbf)
Propellant	LOX / CH4
Second stage
Powered by	Zhuque-2: 1 × TQ-12 Vac 1 × TQ-11 (Vernier); Zhuque-2E: 1 × TQ-15A
Maximum thrust	Block 1: 777.67 kN (79.300 tf; 174,830 lbf); Block 2: 836 kN (85.2 tf; 188,000 lbf);
Propellant	LOX / CH4
	[edit on Wikidata]

Zhuque-2 (Chinese: 朱雀二号; pinyin: Zhūquè èr hào; lit. 'Vermilion Bird-2', ZQ-2) is a Chinese medium-class orbital launch vehicle developed by LandSpace. It is a liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox) and was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.^[1]^[2]

Design

Zhuque-2 has a liftoff weight of 216 tonnes and uses 4 TQ-12 methalox engines in the first stage, each with a thrust of 67 tonnes-force (660 kN).^[3]^[4] The second stage uses one vacuum-optimized TQ-12 with a thrust of 80 tonnes-force (780 kN) in combination with a TQ-11 engine (8 tonnes-force (78 kN) thrust), which acts as a vernier thruster.^[5]

Zhuque-2 is capable of lifting 6,000 kg of payload into a 200 km low Earth orbit and 4,000 kg of payload into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.^[1]^[6]

History

In May 2019, LandSpace performed test firings of its liquid-methane and liquid-oxygen fuelled TQ-12 rocket engine at its test facility at Huzhou, Zhejiang province. LandSpace's head of research and development, Ge Minghe, says that the engine has a thrust of 80 tonnes-force. The Huzhou facility will be able to produce about 15 ZQ-2 rockets and 200 TQ-12 engines starting in 2022, according to CEO, Zhang Changwu.^[7]^[8]^{[needs update]}

On 14 December 2022, LandSpace conducted the debut flight of Zhuque-2, but failed to reach orbit due to an early shutdown of its second-stage vernier engines after the second-stage main engines apparently completed a successful burn. It was the world's first orbital launch attempt by a methane-fueled launch vehicle.^[9]

In March 2023, LandSpace confirmed that the second Zhuque-2 launch vehicle had completed assembly and was undergoing preparations for a launch attempt in the coming months.^[10]

On 12 July 2023, Zhuque-2 became the first methane-fueled launch vehicle to reach orbit after a successful second flight.^[1]^[11]^[12]

2E

An enhanced version of the rocket, the Zhuque-2E, successfully placed two satellites into orbit on 27 November 2024. The new version of the rocket differs from the initial variant by featuring a common bulkhead tank structure, a new TQ-15A liquid oxygen and methane engine with thrust vectoring capabilities on the second stage, and a new niobium alloy nozzle extension on the enhanced TQ-15A engine.^[13]

Launches

Rocket, serial	Flight number	Date (UTC)	Payload	Orbit	Launch site	Outcome	Notes
Zhuque-2	Y1	14 December 2022 08:30^[14]	Various	SSO	Jiuquan, Site 96	Failure	Maiden Flight of Zhuque-2. vernier engines failed during second-stage main-engine shutdown due to excessive forces damaging liquid-oxygen feed line. First launch vehicle using liquid methane propellant to reach space (100 km altitude).
Zhuque-2	Y2	12 July 2023 01:00^[1]	No payload (Flight test)	SSO	Jiuquan, Site 96	Success	First launch vehicle using liquid methane propellant to reach orbit.
Zhuque-2	Y3	8 December 2023 23:39^[15]	Honghu-1 Honghu-2 Tianyi 33	SSO	Jiuquan, Site 96	Success	First methane launch vehicle to launch payloads into orbit. Last launch of Zhuque-2, Future launches will happen on upgraded Zhuque-2E.
Zhuque-2E	Y1	27 November 2024 02:00^[13]	Guangchuan 01 Guangchuan 02	LEO	Jiuquan, Site 96	Success	Maiden flight of Zhuque-2E, featuring a second stage without vernier thrusters.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Beil, Adrian (12 July 2023). "LandSpace claims win in the methane race to orbit via second ZhuQue-2 launch". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^ "China beats rivals to successfully launch first methane-liquid rocket". Reuters. 12 July 2023.
^ Advanced rocket engine ready for space mission May 2019
^ LandSpace Completes Hot Fire Test of Groundbreaking TQ-12 Methalox Engine May 2019
^ Lan, Chen; Myrrhe, Jacqueline (3 September 2019). "Will LandSpace be China's SpaceX?". The Space Review. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
^ Zhuque-2 Y2 is only capable of lifting 1,500 kg of payload into a SSO yet. "热烈庆祝全球首枚液氧甲烷运载火箭成功入轨——朱雀二号遥二发射圆满成功！" (in Chinese (China)). LandSpace. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023. 运载能力为500km太阳同步轨道1.5吨，后续改进型可实现500km太阳同步轨道运载能力4吨。
^ Advanced rocket engine ready for space mission, Space Daily, 2019-05-21.
^ Jones, Andrew (5 June 2020). "Chinese private launch firms advance with methane engines, launch preparations and new funding". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
^ Beil, Adrian (14 December 2022). "Chinese Zhuque-2 fails during first methalox orbital launch attempt". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
^ Beil, Adrian (31 March 2023). "LandSpace readies for the second flight of ZhuQue-2 amid launch salvo". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
^ "China's Landspace reaches orbit with methane-powered Zhuque-2 rocket". Spacenews.com. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^ Jones, Andrew (12 July 2023). "China's Landspace reaches orbit with methane-powered Zhuque-2 rocket". SpaceNews. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^ ^a ^b Jones, Andrew (27 November 2024). "Landspace puts 2 satellites in orbit with enhanced Zhuque-2 rocket". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
^ Fernholz, Tim. "The SpaceX of China aims to commercialize a mysterious rocket on the world stage". Quartz (publication).
^ Beil, Adrian (8 December 2023). "ZhuQue-2 launches on third flight". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 9 December 2023.

[nsf-20230712-1] Beil, Adrian (12 July 2023). "LandSpace claims win in the methane race to orbit via second ZhuQue-2 launch". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

[2] "China beats rivals to successfully launch first methane-liquid rocket". Reuters. 12 July 2023.

[TQ-12-a-3] Advanced rocket engine ready for space mission May 2019

[4] LandSpace Completes Hot Fire Test of Groundbreaking TQ-12 Methalox Engine May 2019

[5] Lan, Chen; Myrrhe, Jacqueline (3 September 2019). "Will LandSpace be China's SpaceX?". The Space Review. Retrieved 28 November 2021.

[6] Zhuque-2 Y2 is only capable of lifting 1,500 kg of payload into a SSO yet. "热烈庆祝全球首枚液氧甲烷运载火箭成功入轨——朱雀二号遥二发射圆满成功！" (in Chinese (China)). LandSpace. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023. 运载能力为500km太阳同步轨道1.5吨，后续改进型可实现500km太阳同步轨道运载能力4吨。

[TQ-12-test-7] Advanced rocket engine ready for space mission, Space Daily, 2019-05-21.

[sn-20200605-8] Jones, Andrew (5 June 2020). "Chinese private launch firms advance with methane engines, launch preparations and new funding". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 June 2020.

[9] Beil, Adrian (14 December 2022). "Chinese Zhuque-2 fails during first methalox orbital launch attempt". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 15 December 2022.

[10] Beil, Adrian (31 March 2023). "LandSpace readies for the second flight of ZhuQue-2 amid launch salvo". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 31 March 2023.

[11] "China's Landspace reaches orbit with methane-powered Zhuque-2 rocket". Spacenews.com. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

[12] Jones, Andrew (12 July 2023). "China's Landspace reaches orbit with methane-powered Zhuque-2 rocket". SpaceNews. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

[SN-27112024-13] Jones, Andrew (27 November 2024). "Landspace puts 2 satellites in orbit with enhanced Zhuque-2 rocket". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 November 2024.

[:1-14] Fernholz, Tim. "The SpaceX of China aims to commercialize a mysterious rocket on the world stage". Quartz (publication).

[15] Beil, Adrian (8 December 2023). "ZhuQue-2 launches on third flight". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 9 December 2023.

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v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Ariane 6 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3 Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 KAIROS^† Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica 1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H 12 LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased Shavit 2 Simorgh SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship Tianlong-2 Unha Vega C Vulcan Centaur Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Deca Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV Nova OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able^† Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Diamant Dnepr Energia Epsilon Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 RS1^† Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard Vega original VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)

Design

History

2E

Launches

See also

References