Chinese private aerospace company LandSpace has successfully launched its liquid oxygen and LNG-powered Zhuque II Remote 2 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on 12 July.
This is the world's first successful launch of a liquid oxygen and LNG-powered rocket, according to LandSpace, and it opens up yet another way to utilise the super-chilled fuel. Liquid oxygen and LNG have over three times the cooling capacity of the traditional combination of liquid oxygen and kerosine, which better protects the rocket engine while not compromising on function. LandSpace did not disclose the LNG volumes the rocket requires.
This was the Zhuque II rocket's second launch. Its first launch was on 14 December last year, but was not successful. Two liquid oxygen and LNG-powered rockets launched in the US in the first half of this year, but were not successful. The rockets are American aerospace manufacturing firms Relativity Space's Terran One rocket and SpaceX's Starship.
Fellow Chinese private aerospace companies Jiuzhou Yunjian Space, Interstellar Glory Space Technology and Aerospace Propulsion are also developing liquid oxygen and LNG-powered rockets, with no timelines disclosed.
