China is preparing to send the world’s first methane-powered rocket into space. The launch of the spacecraft, known as Zhuque-2 and developed by the Landspace company, is expected to take place in the next two weeks, according to a source with knowledge of the matter cited by the South China Morning Post.
Methane is considered the reference fuel for next-generation rockets as it is more efficient, easier to produce and more environmentally friendly than traditional fuels such as refined kerosene. It also has a “specific impulse” that requires less propellant and is therefore more economical to launch.
However, there are several challenges to building a methane engine, such as the difficulty involved in igniting the fuel, especially in a low-temperature environment such as on a space mission.
In that context, LandSpace is in a race with American rivals SpaceX and Relativity Space, which also hope to soon put rockets into orbit with the aforementioned fuel.
The Zhuque-2, a two-stage rocket almost 50 meters high and more than 3 meters wide, burns a mixture of methane and liquid oxygen. With a mass of 219 tons and a thrust of 268 tons at takeoff, it will be able send 6 tons of cargo to low Earth orbit.
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