Oh shit they really did it! Zhuque-2 launch successful, payload delivered to target orbit:
First successful launch of methane powered orbital rocker, period.
First successful launch of methane powered orbital rocker, period.
China's Space Program Thread II
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
by78
General
A satellite jointly developed by China and Egypt, called Egypt-2 (埃及二号), is undergoing final assembly at the Egyptian Satellite Assembly Integration Test Center (AITC) located in New Cairo, Egypt. Both the Egypt-2 and the AITC were part of a signed back in 2014 and which are now coming to fruition.
The Egyptian Satellite Assembly Integration Test Center (AITC) has passed final acceptance review and been formally handed over to the government of Egypt.
AITC was designed and developed by the fifth academy of CASC and built in New Cairo, Egypt. The facility is a major piece of infrastructure that enables Egypt to become the first African country capable of satellite final assembly and testing.
OK someone explain to me why this Landspace Zhuque 2 is such a big deal? Is it just because methane is a very cheap fuel? How much of the cost of an orbital flight is the fuel?
Also I see some Chinese private space companies are going with kerosene - is that as cheap or otherwise better than methane?
Also I see some Chinese private space companies are going with kerosene - is that as cheap or otherwise better than methane?
Last edited:
by78
General
At 9:00 am on July 12, 2023, Beijing time, the second Zhuque-2 rocket was successfully launched from the Jiuquan launch center. This mission is the second flight of the ZQ-2 carrier rocket. More importantly, this is the world's first successful launch of a LOX/Methane rocket into space.
Some high-resolution images to mark this ocassion.
Some high-resolution images to mark this ocassion.
The big deal with Zhuque 2 is it's the first rocket powered by methane to reach orbit. It all comes down to being more "environmental friendly" and ease of production. What the actual savings in costs are I don't know. I would guess methane is cheaper. Other companies using kerosene is likely they don't have the expertise and just use what they can afford.
Some advantages to methane:
- Simpler And Cheaper To Produce
- Little To No Coking And Other Forms Of Residue Buildup
- Environmentally Friendly
- Higher Specific Impulse Than RP-1 (Kerosene)
- Can Be Produced On Other Celestial Bodies
- Smaller Fuel Tanks Required Compared To Hydrogen
- No Additional Compounds Needed To Keep Fuel Tanks Pressurized
- Allows Rocket Engines To Run At Higher Pressures
AFAIK, methane is better than kerosene:
- Methane engines can produce more specific impulse than kerosene. This means more delta-v for the mass of fuel and engine.
- Methane takes up much less volume than other fuels like hydrogen, so the tanks can be smaller and lighter. It can be chilled before launch, causing it to shrink even further.
- Methane is much cleaner burning than kerosene, eliminating problems with carbon deposits causing dangerous hot spots and blockages and greatly reducing the need for overhaul before reuse.
- Methane can be made anywhere in space that power and common raw materials are available—including the surface of Mars.
- Methane is plentiful and cheap in the form of natural gas (at least on Earth).
- The boiling point of oxygen and methane are close enough you can easily prevent one freezing the other with a little insulation. That’s not the case with hydrogen (which will freeze oxygen) or kerosene (which will be frozen by it). These problems can be addressed with other fuels, but at the cost of extra weight.