LandSpace Achieves World First with Successful Launch of Methane-Powered Rocket

The Beijing-based company's Zhuque 2 Y-3 rocket successfully sends three satellites into orbit, marking a significant milestone in the commercialization of liquid-powered rockets.

• LandSpace, a private Chinese aerospace company, successfully launched three satellites into orbit using a methane-powered rocket, marking a world first in the commercialization of launching liquid-powered rockets.
• The rocket, Zhuque 2 Y-3, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China and carried satellites Honghu, Honghu 2, and TY-33 into a 460km sun-synchronous orbit.
• The success of the launch could boost investor confidence in methane as a potential rocket fuel, which is deemed able to help slash costs and support reusable rockets in a cleaner and more efficient way.
• LandSpace plans to provide clients with about three launches in 2024 and double that in 2025, with the aim of achieving low-cost, large-scale manufacturing and delivery of rockets.
• Chinese commercial space firms have rushed into the sector since 2014, when the government allowed private investment in the industry.

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