Inspenet, July 18, 2023.
The LandSpace company recently managed to put the rocket into orbit using exclusively methane as fuel.
China continues to advance in this new era of space exploration. The Asian giant’s approach is based on a hybrid model that combines large public state companies with emerging private companies. Within this last category is LandSpace, which has achieved something that large American companies such as SpaceX or Blue Origin have not yet achieved with their rockets.
In the early morning of July 12, the Zhuque 2 (ZQ-2) rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Space Center with the sole purpose of testing the technology and making up for a previous failed launch in December. This time he was resoundingly successful, as he managed to place a dummy payload in the intended orbit using methane as fuel and oxygen as an oxidizer .
This combination, known as methalox, represents one of the most significant technical advances that will allow better reuse of propellants due to the chemical properties that are generated during combustion. This mixture is much cleaner than RP-1 fuel, which is the most used in the sector, which makes it easier for personnel to prepare it again.
Pre-launch attempts of the ZQ-2
LandSpace was founded in 2015 with the aim of developing a launcher capable of putting payloads into orbit. His first attempt, called Zhuque 1, was 19 meters long, had a takeoff weight of 27 tons, and a payload capacity of 400 kilograms to low orbit. Unfortunately, the launch of this model in 2018 resulted in a flop, reports Naukas. This setback led the company to rethink its strategy and focus on the ZQ-2.
During this new stage, LandSpace received private investment from Chinese companies, allowing them to build proper facilities and their own launch infrastructure. ZQ-2 is currently the most powerful private launcher in China , as it can place up to 4 tons in low orbit and up to 1.8 tons in sun-synchronous polar orbit.
The rocket has a total mass of 219 tons and spans 49.5 meters with a diameter of 3.35 meters, including the two stages and the bonnet. The first stage features a central structure that houses 4 TQ-12 methane engines , each with a thrust of 80 tons in a vacuum.
The second stage includes another TQ-12 engine as the core element and 4 specially designed TQ-11 engines to provide thrust vectoring to the ship. In the future, LandSpace plans to install a single, steered exhaust engine at this stage to serve the guidance function.
For comparison, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has dimensions of 70 meters long by 3.7 meters in diameter and a launch mass of 550 tons. With its 9 engines in the first stage and the engine in the second stage, it has a payload capacity of 22.8 tons to low orbit, 8.3 tons to geostationary orbit and up to 4 tons for missions to Mars.
Methane as fuel: the best alternative?
Although the development of a methane propellant has been extensively investigated and explored from a scientific point of view, until now none of the proposals presented had managed to materialize, much less enter service. Engineers have had two options for developing their rockets, each using a different fuel: the kerosene derivative RP-1 and liquid hydrogen.
The most common option, as mentioned above, is the RP-1, which is used in rocket engines like those of SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which constantly sets new records for propellant reuse. RP-1 has the advantage of being easily stored, cheap to obtain, and widely available, since it is a by-product of petroleum.
However, the use of RP-1 presents the drawback of generating a considerable amount of residues during combustion, which increases the complexity and the time required for its cleaning after each launch. Unburned fuel left in the propellant can polymerize and even char in the hottest areas of the structure.
As for hydrogen , its handling becomes complicated due to its need to be stored at low temperatures and high pressures. This delicate molecule requires highly specialized storage equipment. Despite this, hydrogen has been used in various launcher models, such as the Ariane 5 and the future Ariane 6. It is also considered a great hope for projects such as the Spanish hypersonic aircraft, Destinus.
Methane emerges as a third option, with a specific drive similar to kerosene, but much easier to manage than hydrogen. Its greatest advantage is that, when combined with liquid oxygen, it offers a simpler and cleaner combustion , which prolongs the useful life of the engines and allows its reuse on more occasions . This factor, in turn, will significantly reduce the costs associated with launching satellites and space travel when rockets are developed for that purpose.
Another crucial aspect relates to future flights to Mars and the potential for methane to become the star fuel for interplanetary travel . Thanks to the Sabatier reaction, it is possible to produce water and methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which opens the door to use the resources present on the red planet itself to supply the launchers, avoiding the need to carry all the fuel From the earth. This will allow for new missions and exploration in the future.
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