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Mahesh

18/07/23 07:30 AM IST

China beats US, Europe, India to launch 1st methane-powered rocket to space

In News
  • A private Chinese company launched the World’s first methane-fuelled space rocket into orbit named “Zhuque-2”.
About Zhuque-2
  • A methane-powered rocket, also known as Methalox, uses methane as the fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer.
  • It operates based on the same principles as traditional launch vehicles but differs in terms of propellant choice and certain design considerations.
  • The Zhuque-2 is a Chinese orbital class launching vehicle developed by Landscape.
  • It is liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox).
  • It is first methane-fuelled rocket to reach orbit.
  • Zhuque-2 has a liftoff weight of 216 metric tons and uses 4 TQ-12 methalox engines in the first stage with a thrust of 67 metric tonnes.
  • The second stage utilizes one optimized TQ-12 with a thrust of 80 metric tonnes in combination with an 8 metric tonnes thrust TQ-11 engine which acts as a vernier thruster.
  • Zhuque-2 has a capability of lifting 6,000 kg of payload into a 200 km low Earth orbit and 4,000 kg of payload into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.
  • Zhuque-2 has also been launched on 14 December 2022 but it was a failure.
Source- ANI

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