LandSpace

LandSpace (Chinese: 蓝箭[1]; pinyin: Lán Jiàn; lit.: 'Blue Arrow') or Landspace Technology Corporation[2] (Chinese: 蓝箭空间科技[3][4]; pinyin: Lán Jiàn Kōngjiān Kējì; lit.: 'Blue Arrow Space Technology') is a Chinese private space launch company based in Beijing.[5][2] It was founded by Tsinghua University[5] in 2015.[6] The company conducted its first launch of the Zhuque-1 rocket on 27 October 2018, however the payload failed to reach orbit due to an issue with the third stage.[7][8]

Land Space Technology Corporation Ltd.
Land Space
Founded2016
Headquarters
Beijing 
,
People's Republic of China 
Websitelandspace.com

The firm aims to develop, build and operate a solid fueled orbital rocket Zhuque-1, which is technologically based on the Long March 11 rocket of the Chinese government. LandSpace also aims to develop an original rocket design, the liquid fueled orbital rocket Zhuque-2.[9]

Rockets

Zhuque-1

Zhuque-1 (ZQ-1, Chinese：朱雀一号or朱雀·南太湖号), also called LandSpace-1 or LS-1 (the name LandSpace-1 or LS-1 was originally reserved for a different rocket that did not in the end materialize;[10] after cancellation of the rocket, the name LandSpace-1 was affiliated to LandSpace's rocket-to-be-developed, the Zhuque-1), is a 19-meter (62 ft)-tall, three-stage solid-propellant rocket. All stages have a diameter of 1.35 m. It is likely based on the DF-26 missile's rocket motor.[11] Zhuque-1 has a takeoff mass of 27 tonnes (60,000 lb) and a thrust of 45 tonnes-force (99,000 lbf), and is able to carry 300 kilograms (660 lb) of payload into a 300 kilometres (190 mi) low Earth orbit.[7]

The maiden flight of Zhuque-1 was on 27 October 2018 from a mobile platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying Weila-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.[7][8] Zhuque-1 was the first Chinese private orbital rocket to attempt an orbital launch.[12]

According so some reports, the manufacturer of the solid rocket motors has ended their contract with LandSpace. This raised doubts as to whether there will be a second flight of Zhuque-1.[11]

Zhuque-2

LandSpace is also developing a liquid-fuelled rocket called Zhuque-2 (ZQ-2).[5] Zhuque-2 is a medium-sized rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane capable of lifting 4,000 kg of payload into a 200 km low Earth orbit, or 2,000 kg of payload into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.[13][14] As of July 2018, the rocket was planned to be launched in 2020.[15]

Zhuque-2 will have a liftoff weight of 216 metric tons and use multiple Tianque-12 (TQ-12) methalox engines - each with a thrust of up to 80 metric tonnes.[16][17]

In May 2019, LandSpace did test firings of its liquid methane and LOX fuelled TQ-12 rocket engine at its test facility at Huzhou, Zhejiang province. LandSpace's head of research and development, Ge Minghe, says the engine has a thrust of 80 tonnes. The Huzhou facility will be able to produce about 15 ZQ 2 rockets and 200 TQ-12 engines starting in 2020, according to CEO, Zhang Changwu.[18][19]

Marketplace

LandSpace is one of several Chinese solid rocket startups in competition, others being OneSpace, LinkSpace, and ExPace.[20]

gollark: I have absolutely no idea how to fix it, yay.
gollark: Also, I'm pretty sure it breaks if it goes *days* only, too...
gollark: Yes, yes it does... oops...
gollark: It *does* probably go against TJ09's **Grand Vision**...
gollark: I'm amazed it works at all.

See also

References
  1. 蓝箭官网
  2. "Private firm inks intl contract for commercial rocket launch". China Daily. Xinhua. 16 January 2017.
  3. "北京蓝箭空间科技有限公司(landspace)" (in Chinese). China Spaceflight. 30 September 2017.
  4. Henri Kenhamn (2017). "LandSpace : le futur SpaceX chinois" (in French). East Pendulum.
  5. Jeffrey Lin; P.W. Singer (23 January 2017). "A private Chinese space company just scored a foreign contract for the first time". Popular Science.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  6. Clay Dillow (28 March 2017). "China's secret plan to crush SpaceX and the US space program". CNBC.
  7. 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.
  8. Jones, Andrew (27 October 2018). "Landspace fails to reach orbit with milestone private Chinese launch". Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  9. Fernholz, Tim. "The SpaceX of China aims to commercialize a mysterious rocket on the world stage". Quartz (publication).
  10. "Landspace fails to reach orbit with milestone private Chinese launch". SpaceNews. 27 October 2018.
  11. "ZhuQue-1 (ZQ-1, LandSpace-1, LS-1)". space.skyrocket.de.
  12. Clark, Stephen. "LandSpace falls short of orbit in private Chinese launch attempt – Spaceflight Now". Spaceflight Now.
  13. "Commercial Chinese companies set sights on methalox rockets, first orbital launches - SpaceNews.com". SpaceNews.com. 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  14. "LandSpace Unveils Highly Ambitious New Rocket - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  15. Sputnik. "Chinese Space Company Planning Launch of Largest Privately Owned Liquid Rocket". sputniknews.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  16. Advanced rocket engine ready for space mission May 2019
  17. LandSpace Completes Hot Fire Test of Groundbreaking TQ-12 Methalox Engine May 2019
  18. Advanced rocket engine ready for space mission, Space Daily, 2019-05-21
  19. Jones, Andrew (5 June 2020). "Chinese private launch firms advance with methane engines, launch preparations and new funding". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  20. Doug Messier (20 December 2017). "EXPACE Raises $182 Million for Small Satellite Launchers". Parabolic Arc.
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