China's Space Program Thread II

[coolgod]

After looking at western Internet, I finally understood what the Chinese term 破防 means. I hope China decides to launch a manned lunar mission secretly. The look on their faces when they wake up and see the red flag on the moon will be amazing.

 

[H2O]

Well, there is already a red flag on the moon.

The look on their faces when they wake up and see the red flag on the moon will be amazing.

Unfortunately US can't stand being second! Now they have to swallow the bitter pill.

They'll double their efforts. Don't count them out just yet.

 

[SteelBird]

Zhuque-2, world's first methane-liquid oxygen rocket.

 

[Quickie]

Methane as a fuel has characteristics in between Kerosene and Hydrogen. A liquid rocket using kerosene will have smaller fuel tanks, and the fuel does not need to be stored at cryogenic temperatures. A rocket with methane has better fuel efficiency (Isp) than a kerosene powered one, but worse density and dry weight because of the larger fuel tanks due to the fuel being lower density.

The main advantage of methane is supposed to be less coking i.e. fouling of the engine which is important in reusable rockets. But this LandSpace rocket is not reusable.

You might as well neglect any possible price advantage in the fuel itself since that is mostly irrelevant in this case.

No satellites were launched with Zhuque-2 since this was a test launch.

So a methane-fueled engine is more relevant as it goes up the rocket stages just as a hydrogen-fueled engine becomes the choice for the 2nd/3rd stage of the rocket.

A combination of kerosene, methane, and hydrogen-fuelled rocket could be the most efficient yet.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Zhuque-2, world's first methane-liquid oxygen rocket.

making history. Zhuque-2 currently has the most advanced operational rocket engine.

 

[broadsword]

making history. Zhuque-2 currently has the most advanced operational rocket engine.

But what about chamber pressure?

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

But what about chamber pressure?

TQ2's 100 bar is pretty close to BE-4's 134 bar. While indeed lower than Raptor's 300 bar, it works and Zhuque-2's in space. Vulcan Centaur is also not in space yet.

 

[by78]

Excellent launch footage of the Zhuque-2 rocket.

 

[huemens]

TQ2's 100 bar is pretty close to BE-4's 134 bar. While indeed lower than Raptor's 300 bar, it works and Zhuque-2's in space. Vulcan Centaur is also not in space yet.

Last year they tested TQ-12A, an improved version of TQ-12.

 

[Michael90]

Excellent launch footage of the Zhuque-2 rocket.

Will be good to see how these private conmpanies will faire, especially if they prove to be even more efficient/effective than the state owned ones. Wil be intersting to see if they will be able to compete fairly with state owned launch companies this coming decade and how this competition might help the industry. Hopefully they will be given the chance to compete fairly and win contracts if they can provide a better service.
Funny enough it actually seems to me that the first chinese space company to launch a reusable rocket in Space will be a provate company instead of a state. Before i thought the long march 8 resuable version will be launch soon, but since there has been no real information or news about that since then, i actualy think private chinese rocket launch company have a better chance and timeline they have given are more viable. Interesting times ahead for Chinas space industry