In what could be a game-changing moment for space exploration, a private company in China has launched the world’s first methane-powered rocket into orbit. The move helps China beat rivals like the US, India, and Europe in developing the next-generation launch vehicle that could carry payloads into orbit around Earth.
According to Chinese state media on Wednesday, the Zhuque-2 carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The rocket is powered by four TQ-12 Magpie engines that use a mixture of liquid methane and oxygen to generate thrust. The engines are smaller and less expensive than other methane-powered rocket engines, such as the Raptor or Blue Origin’s BE-4, but can still generate up to 150,000 lb of thrust each. That is enough power to put six tonnes into low Earth orbit or four tonnes into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), reports the South China Morning Post.
The launch was the second for Beijing-based LandSpace, one of several new commercial rocket companies that have sprung up in China since the country opened its space sector to private investment in 2014. The Zhuque-2 is LandSpace’s most significant launch vehicle to date.
Using methane as a propellant is considered to be far less polluting, safer, and cheaper than the kerosene fuel typically used in conventional rockets. Methane also burns with a pretty blue flame, which caught the attention of many Twitter users.
It is still being determined how long it will be before we see methane-powered rockets flying in commercial service. However, if the company can continue improving its rockets and getting them certified commercially, it could quickly become a significant player in the space industry.
Methane-powered rockets are also a big step forward for the global race to develop reusable rockets. Methane is easier to clean up than the traditional RP-1 fuel used in most rockets, and that will help reduce launch costs over time by eliminating the need to dispose of and replace spent fuel.
China already has a leg up on some of its rivals regarding reusing rockets. In April, another private Chinese company, Beijing Tianbing Technology, landed its first reusable rocket after dropping off a remote-sensing satellite into SSO.
The methane-fueled rocket still needs to be fully reusable, as it needs to be cleaned after every flight before refueling and reusing. That will take a while to perfect.
The successful launch of the Zhuque-2 rocket puts pressure on Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to catch up with the latest development in rocket technology. The two companies have been working on methane-powered engines for years, but they must work fast to catch up with the progress in other countries, especially China. It will be even more critical for the US to continue investing in its private space industry as the government prepares for human-crewed missions to Mars in 2024 and beyond.
