LandSpace
LandSpace | |
Native name | 蓝箭航天空间科技股份有限公司 |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Aerospace |
Founded | June 2015[1] |
Founder | Zhang Changwu (张昌武)[2] |
Headquarters | , China |
Website | landspace.com |
Footnotes / references [3] |
LandSpace Technology Corporation | |
---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | Lánjiàn Hángtiān |
LandSpace Technology Corporation (
As of July 2023, the company's Zhuque-2 rocket became the first methane-fueled orbital launch vehicle in the world after reaching orbit on its second flight.[8][9] LandSpace plans to conduct three Zhuque-2 launches in 2024 and six in 2025.[10]
History
Landspace Technology Corporation was established in 2015, after a Chinese government policy change in 2014 that allowed private capital into the space industry.[11] Since its founding, the company has established several aerospace infrastructure sites in Zhejiang, including a $1.5 billion medium and large-scale liquid rocket assembly and test plant in Jiaxing and an intelligent manufacturing base in Huzhou.[8]
LandSpace developed its first launch vehicle Zhuque-1, powered by solid-propellant motors. Zhuque-1 was launched on 27 October 2018, however the payload failed to reach orbit due to an issue with the third stage.[12][13] The company also developed the liquid-fueled Zhuque-2, which became the first methalox rocket in the world to reach orbit after a successful second flight on 12 July 2023.[14]
Launch vehicles
Zhuque-1
Zhuque-1 (ZQ-1, Chinese: 朱雀一号 or 朱雀·南太湖号), also known as LandSpace-1 or LS-1, is a 19-metre (62 ft) tall, three-stage solid-propellant rocket with a diameter of 1.35 m. It is likely based on the DF-26 missile's rocket motor.[15] Zhuque-1 has a takeoff mass of 27 t (27 long tons; 30 short tons), a thrust of 45 tf (99,000 lbf), and can carry 300 kg (660 lb) of payload into a 300 km (190 mi) low Earth orbit (LEO).[12]
The maiden flight of Zhuque-1 took place on 27 October 2018, from a mobile platform at the
Following the launch, reports emerged that the solid rocket motor manufacturer had ended its contract with LandSpace, casting doubt on the future of Zhuque-1.[15] Subsequently, LandSpace announced it would shift its focus to developing the methane-fueled Zhuque-2.[8]
Zhuque-2
Zhuque-2 (ZQ-2) is a medium-sized
The first flight of Zhuque-2 occurred on 14 December 2022, but the launch vehicle failed to place its payload into orbit due to the failure of its second-stage vernier engines after the second-stage main engine shutdown. Nevertheless, with this maiden launch, Zhuque-2 became the first methane-fueled rocket to reach space. On 12 July 2023, the second flight was successful, making it the first
Zhuque-3
Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) is an under-development, two-stage, medium-to-heavy launch vehicle made of stainless steel and powered by liquid methane fuel. The reusable first stage, equipped with nine
On 19 January 2024, Landspace conducted a successful vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) test using the Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 test vehicle at Jiuquan. The test stage, powered by a single Tianque-12 engine, flew for approximately 60 seconds and reached a height of about 350 meters. Landspace reported a landing accuracy of about 2.4 meters and a touchdown speed of approximately 0.75 meters per second.[18] Additionally, the company had previously announced plans to develop a 200-tonne class full-flow staged combustion engine, which is expected to be ready by 2028 for a future version of Zhuque-3.[10]
Launches
Zhuque-1 launches
Rocket & serial | Flight number | Date | Payload | Orbit | Launch site | Outcome | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zhuque-1[12] | Y1 | 27 October 2018, 08:00 UTC |
Weilai-1 ('Future-1') satellite | LEO | Jiuquan | Failure | 3 solid-fuel stages; 3rd stage anomaly.[13] |
Zhuque-2 launches
Rocket & serial | Flight number | Date | Payload | Orbit | Launch site | Outcome | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zhuque-2[19] | Y1 | 14 December 2022, 08:30 UTC |
Various | SSO | Jiuquan, Site 96 | Failure | First methane launch vehicle to reach space. |
Zhuque-2[9] | Y2 | 12 July 2023, 01:00 UTC |
No payload (flight test) | SSO | Jiuquan, Site 96 | Success | First methane launch vehicle to reach orbit. |
Zhuque-2[10] | Y3 | 8 December 2023, 23:39 UTC |
Honghu-1 Honghu-2 Tianyi 33 |
SSO | Jiuquan, Site 96 | Success | First methane launch vehicle to launch payloads into orbit. |
Marketplace
LandSpace is in competition with several other Chinese space rocket startups, being LinkSpace, Galactic Energy, ExPace, i-Space, OneSpace and Deep Blue Aerospace.[20]
References
- ^ 关于我们 [About Us]. landspace.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Zhang Changwu". APSCC Satellite Conference & Exhibition. Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "About Us". landspace.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ 北京蓝箭空间科技有限公司(landspace) [Beijing Blue Arrow Space Technology Co., Ltd. (landspace)]. China Spaceflight (in Chinese). 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Kenhmann, Henri (8 October 2016). "LandSpace: le futur SpaceX chinois" [LandSpace: the future Chinese SpaceX]. East Pendulum (in French). Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Lin, Jeffrey; Singer, P. W. (23 January 2017). "A private Chinese space company just scored a foreign contract for the first time". Popular Science. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Dillow, Clay (28 March 2017). "China's secret plan to crush SpaceX and the US space program". CNBC. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Andrew (12 July 2023). "China's Landspace reaches orbit with methane-powered Zhuque-2 rocket". SpaceNews. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d Beil, Adrian (11 July 2023). "LandSpace claims win in the methane race to orbit via second ZhuQue-2 launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Jones, Andrew (9 December 2023). "Landspace launches third methane Zhuque-2, targets 2025 launch of new stainless steel rocket". spacenews.com. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ a b Jones, Andrew (10 December 2019). "Chinese space launch firm Landspace raises $71 million". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Barbosa, Rui C. (27 October 2018). "Chinese commercial provider LandSpace launches Weilai-1 on a Zhuque-1 rockets – fails to make orbit". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Jones, Andrew (27 October 2018). "Landspace fails to reach orbit with milestone private Chinese launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ Zhao, Lei (12 July 2023). "China launches first globally successful orbital mission for methane-fueled rocket". China Daily. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b "ZhuQue-1 (ZQ-1, LandSpace-1, LS-1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (28 October 2018). "LandSpace falls short of orbit in private Chinese launch attempt". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Landspace - ZQ-2 / Suzaku No. 2". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (19 January 2024). "China's Landspace conducts first VTVL test for reusable stainless steel rocket". spacenews.com. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Fernholz, Tim (27 September 2016). "The SpaceX of China aims to commercialize a mysterious rocket on the world stage". Quartz. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Messier, Doug (20 December 2017). "EXPACE Raises $182 Million for Small Satellite Launchers". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2 August 2023.