China’s Zhuque 2 Mission Demonstrates Oxygen-M methane Propulsion and Orbital Deliveries
China’s private aerospace developer LandSpace recently reported a successful orbital mission using the Zhuque 2 rocket, which features the world’s first oxygen-methane engine to power a multi-satellite deployment. The mission marked another milestone for methane-fueled propulsion, illustrating a growing capability to place diverse cargo into orbit across commercial and scientific aims.
The liftoff occurred at 02:39 local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. Three satellites were released into orbit: HongHu, TianYi-33, and HongHu-2. This flight stands as the Zhuque 2’s third orbital attempt, continuing to validate the vehicle’s core propulsion system, stage architecture, and payload deployment patterns.
Zhuque 2 operates with a liquid oxygen and methane propulsion scheme, a combination that offers potential advantages in performance, cost, and reusability for future missions. The developers indicated the vehicle can deliver payloads up to approximately four metric tons into low Earth orbit, broadening the range of possible commercial and research cargoes for early-stage exploration and service missions.
In parallel developments, China has progressed its crewed space program, with late October witnessing the launch of a manned mission to the orbital space station. A two-stage CZ-2F/G launcher was employed to ferry the crew module into orbit. Roughly 15 minutes after liftoff, the Human Space Flight Program Office confirmed the crewed mission’s success, advancing China’s sustained presence in low Earth orbit and its broader strategic objectives in space collaboration and technology demonstration.
State media later reported the Shenzhou-15 mission successfully returned from the Chinese orbital station, reinforcing the nation’s capability to conduct long-duration crewed operations and complex on-station tasks that support future research and international cooperation in space science.
In related context, North Korea has experienced prior difficulties with rocket launches targeting the Sea of Japan, illustrating ongoing regional challenges and the broader dynamics of space launch risk and verification across East Asia.
(Source: official space program briefings and state media summaries)