A Chinese startup has beaten Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the race to launch a methane-fueled rocket, boosting the nation’s goal of eventually challenging the US as the dominant power in space.
LandSpace Technology Corp. successfully launched the ZQ-2 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest province of Gansu on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The successful launch comes after the first attempt failed in December because of an abnormality in a supplementary second-stage engine. After reviews and analysis of the issue, improvement measures were implemented that proved effective in ground tests, the company said in March.
The rocket arrived at the launch center in May after traveling nine days from LandSpace’s manufacturing base in Jiaxing. The launch entered its final-stage preparation on July 6, according to the company.
SpaceX and others have been developing rockets that can use methane-based fuel, thanks to its potential to be cleaner and safer than solid propellants, liquid hydrogen and other fuels currently used. The successful launch by LandSpace provides the Beijing-based company with bragging rights and boosts President Xi Jinping’s strategy to have China challenge the US in the race to dominate space.
It’s “a major milestone,” said Maxime Puteaux, who researches the space industry as a principal advisor with Paris-based Euroconsult. A startup’s success launching an innovative rocket “proves you can do complex hardware development outside of the Chinese aerospace conglomerates.”
--With assistance from Bruce Einhorn.
