LandSpace Technology Corporation (doing business as LandSpace)[4][5] is a Chinese private space launch provider based in Beijing.[6] It was founded in 2015 by Zhang Changwu.[6][7]
LandSpace | |
Native name | 蓝箭 |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Aerospace |
Founded | June 2015[1] |
Founder | Zhang Changwu (张昌 |
Headquarters | , China |
Website | landspace.com |
Footnotes / references [3] |
LandSpace Technology Corporation | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Simplified Chinese | 蓝箭 | ||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||
| |||||||
LandSpace | |||||||
Simplified Chinese | 蓝箭 | ||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||
|
Since its founding, the company has established several aerospace infrastructure sites in Zhejiang, including a $1.5 billion medium and large-scale liquid rocket assembly and test plant in Jiaxing and an intelligent manufacturing base in Huzhou.[8]
LandSpace developed its first launch vehicle Zhuque-1, powered by solid-propellant motors. Zhuque-1 was launched on 27 October 2018, however the payload failed to reach orbit due to an issue with the third stage.[9][10] The company also developed the liquid-fueled Zhuque-2, which became the first methalox rocket in the world to reach orbit after a successful second flight on 12 July 2023.[11]
Launch vehicles
Zhuque-1
Zhuque-1 (ZQ-1, Chinese:
The maiden flight of Zhuque-1 was on 27 October 2018 from a mobile platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying Weilai-1 satellite for China Central Television. After a successful first- and second-stage firing, and fairing separation, the payload failed to reach orbit due to an issue with the third stage.[9][10] Zhuque-1 was the first Chinese private orbital rocket to attempt an orbital launch.[13]
According to news reports, the manufacturer of the solid rocket motors has ended its contract with LandSpace. This raised doubts as to whether there will be a second flight of Zhuque-1.[12] Following the launch, LandSpace announced it would advance its focus from Zhuque-1's simple solid-propellant towards the development of a methane-fuelled Zhuque-2.[8]
Zhuque-2
Zhuque-2 (ZQ-2) is a medium-sized liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane capable of lifting 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) of payload into a 200 km (120 mi) LEO, or 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of payload into a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[6][14] The rocket was initially planned to be launched in 2020,[15] however by 2019 this had slipped to 2021,[16] and later to December 2022. On 12 July 2023, Zhuque-2 became the first methane-fueled launch vehicle to reach orbit after a successful second flight.[14][8]
Launches
Rocket & serial | Flight number | Date | Payload | Orbit | Launch site | Outcome | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zhuque-1[9][10] | 27 October 2018, 08:00 UTC |
Weilai-1 ('Future-1') satellite | LEO | Jiuquan | Failure | 3 solid-fuel stages; 3rd stage anomaly. | |
Zhuque-2[17] | Y1 | 14 December 2022, 08:30 UTC |
Various | SSO | Jiuquan, Site 96 | Failure | First methane launch vehicle to reach space. |
Zhuque-2[14] | Y2 | 12 July 2023, 01:00 UTC |
No payload (flight test) | SSO | Jiuquan, Site 96 | Success | First methane launch vehicle to reach orbit. |
Zhuque-2 | Y3 | 6 December 2023, ~23:30 UTC |
Unknown Payload | SSO | Jiuquan, Site 96 | Planned |
Marketplace
LandSpace is in competition with several other Chinese space rocket startups, being LinkSpace, Galactic Energy, ExPace, i-Space, OneSpace and Deep Blue Aerospace.[18]
References
- ^ 关于
我 们 [About Us]. landspace.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 August 2022. - ^ "Zhang Changwu". APSCC Satellite Conference & Exhibition. Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "About Us". landspace.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^
北京 蓝箭空 间科技 有限 公司 (landspace) [Beijing Blue Arrow Space Technology Co., Ltd. (landspace)]. China Spaceflight (in Chinese). 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2023. - ^ Kenhmann, Henri (8 October 2016). "LandSpace: le futur SpaceX chinois" [LandSpace: the future Chinese SpaceX]. East Pendulum (in French). Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Lin, Jeffrey; Singer, P. W. (23 January 2017). "A private Chinese space company just scored a foreign contract for the first time". Popular Science. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Dillow, Clay (28 March 2017). "China's secret plan to crush SpaceX and the US space program". CNBC. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Jones, Andrew (12 July 2023). "China's Landspace reaches orbit with methane-powered Zhuque-2 rocket". SpaceNews. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d Barbosa, Rui C. (27 October 2018). "Chinese commercial provider LandSpace launches Weilai-1 on a Zhuque-1 rockets – fails to make orbit". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Andrew (27 October 2018). "Landspace fails to reach orbit with milestone private Chinese launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ Zhao, Lei (12 July 2023). "China launches first globally successful orbital mission for methane-fueled rocket". China Daily. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b "ZhuQue-1 (ZQ-1, LandSpace-1, LS-1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (28 October 2018). "LandSpace falls short of orbit in private Chinese launch attempt". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Beil, Adrian (11 July 2023). "LandSpace claims win in the methane race to orbit via second ZhuQue-2 launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ "Landspace - ZQ-2 / Suzaku No. 2". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (10 December 2019). "Chinese space launch firm Landspace raises $71 million". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Fernholz, Tim (27 September 2016). "The SpaceX of China aims to commercialize a mysterious rocket on the world stage". Quartz. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Messier, Doug (20 December 2017). "EXPACE Raises $182 Million for Small Satellite Launchers". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2 August 2023.