Landspace, a Chinese startup, made an impressive maiden voyage on Friday when their Zhuque-2 rocket successfully entered orbit, carrying two satellites. The satellites, a microsatellite and a cubesat, are being used to collect data for a range of applications.
The success of the mission marks a major milestone for the Landspace team, showing they are capable of successfully launching rockets into space. The company is now looking to the future and planning to launch their first stainless steel rocket in 2025.
This maiden mission is the third in the Zhuque-2 series of rockets. The first Zhuque-2 rocket was launched in October 2019 and the second in July 2020. The Zhuque-2 rockets are a family of medium-sized launch vehicles capable of carrying payloads up to 500kg into low Earth orbit.
The stainless steel rocket currently under development is expected to be even more capable, able to lift payloads up to 1.5 tonnes into low Earth orbit. According to Landspace, the rocket will use the same technologies as their Zhuque-2 rockets, including a two-stage liquid propellant engine.
The first test flight of the stainless steel rocket is planned for 2025. The rocket is expected to achieve higher performance and be more reliable than its predecessors. This is partly thanks to the use of stainless steel for the rocket’s first and second stages, making it much lighter than other rockets.
The launch of the Zhuque-2 rocket on Friday was a major boost for the Chinese aerospace industry and a possible sign of the nation’s imminent technological dominance. It was also a major win for Landspace, who have continued to make progress despite the difficult market conditions caused by the global pandemic.
Landspace’s success demonstrates the potential of the Chinese space industry, which is quickly becoming a major player in the global space race. With the successful maiden voyage of the Zhuque-2 rocket, it appears that Landspace is well on its way to becoming a major player in the industry and is likely to play a key role in the development of the Chinese aerospace industry over the coming years.
With the successful launch of the Zhuque-2 rocket, Landspace has taken a major step towards achieving their long-term goal of launching a stainless steel rocket in 2025. It remains to be seen whether they can reach this ambitious target, but it is clear that they have the necessary skills and expertise to make it a reality.
Landspace’s Friday launch proves that the Chinese space industry has the potential to go far, and the successful launch of their stainless steel rocket in 2025 could be the first of many milestones for the nation. The successful mission of the Zhuque-2 rocket is an exciting sign of the nation’s growing space capabilities and a major success for Landspace.
