China’s Landspace Prepares for Epic 3rd Launch of Methane-Powered Rocket

Get ready for an exciting launch as Chinese startup Landspace is gearing up to send its methane-powered rocket into the sky early next month.

The Zhuque 2 (Vermillion Bird 2) rocket will be carrying satellites and showcasing its operational launch capabilities in its upcoming mission.

This launch comes on the heels of the company’s successful second launch last July, which saw the Zhuque-2 rocket reach orbit. Prior to that, Landspace faced a setback with the failure of its first Zhuque-2 launch less than a year ago.

Landspace’s Zhuque-2 rocket is making headlines as the first methane-powered rocket to reach orbit, beating out competitors like Relativity Space’s Terran rockets and SpaceX’s Starship. Speaking of Starship, SpaceX recently had its own test launch, which didn’t go as planned.

Preparation for the upcoming launch has been spotted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using satellite imagery. The company even built its own launch pad at Jiuquan to support its methalox rocket.

The highly-anticipated launch is scheduled to take place at 07:30 a.m. Beijing time on Dec. 5. The buildup to the event is already underway, as the Zhuque-2 pathfinder has gone vertical at the launch pad.

The success of Landspace’s rocket, along with other recent milestones in Chinese commercial launch, is setting a new standard for the industry. As the space race continues, other companies like SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are also making moves in the space exploration arena.

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