SPACE LAUNCH REPORT ZQ-2 Launch Vehicle Flight History by Variant/Year (2020-2023) by Ed Kyle, Last Update December 31, 2023 L(F) = Number of Launches(Number of Failures) ZQ-2 Grand Total Year L(F) L(F) L(F) L(F) L(F) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2020 - - - - - 2021 - - - - - 2022 1(1) - - - 1(1) 2023 2(0) - - - 2(0) ------------------------------------------------------------------ ZQ-2 Grand Total L(F) L(F) L(F) L(F) L(F) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Suborb - - - - - Orbit 3(1) - - - 3(1) Total 3(1) - - - 3(1) ------------------------------------------------------------------ ZQ-2 Vehicle Configurations ================================================================== Payload Config. Height Mass (tonnes) (meters) (tonnes) (1) 200 km x 40 deg (2) 500 km x 98 deg ================================================================== ZQ-2 6.0 t (1) 2-stg LOX/LCH4 49.5 m 219 t 4.0 t (2) ================================================================== "ZQ-2" = Zhuque 2 Two-stage Methane/LOX liquid. First orbital attempt and success in world using LOX/Methane. ZQ-2 Vehicle Components ------------------------------------------------------------------ Stg 1 Stg 2 PLF ================================================================== Diameter (m) 3.35 3.35 3.35 Length (m) Mp (tonnes) GLOW (tonnes) Propellant LOX/LCH4 LOX/LCH4 T (SL tonnes) 268 T (VAC tonnes) 93 ISP (SL/Vac sec) 283/334s 350s +331s Burn Time (sec) Engines/Motors 4 1 Engine 4xTQ-12 1xTQ-12 Mfgr +1xTQ-11 vernier ================================================================== ZQ-2 LAUNCH HISTORY ------------------------------------------------------------------ DATE VEHICLE ID PAYLOAD MASS(t) SITE* ORBIT* ================================================================== 12/14/22 ZQ-2 Y1 Smartsat 1B+10usats JQ 43/96 [FTO] 07/12/23 ZQ-2 Y2 Dummysat? JQ 43/96 SSO 12/08/23 ZQ-2 Y3 Honghu 1,2/Tianyi 33 0.15? JQ 43/96 SSO ================================================================== NOTES by Vehicle ID [Y1] 0830 UTC. Inaugural launch. Stg 2 vernier shut down with Stg 2 main engine, 2 minutes early. Planned SSO. First attempted flight to orbit by a LOX/LCH4 rocket. Key events: T+148s main engine cutoff T+150s stage separation T+155s 2nd-stage ignition T+194s payload fairing separation ~T+280s 2nd main off LandSpace announced the cause of the failure later. The LOX pump low pressure side outer casing for the 2nd stage vernier engine broke under impact force from the 2nd stage main engine shutdown at the connection with the LOX inlet pipe, which was designed to withstand insufficient force as subsequent ground testing showed. Similar connections were strengthened on the vehicle for future launches. LandSpace was already going to replace the whole 2nd stage engine with a new clean sheet design (the TQ-15A) without vernier engines for "batch 2" launch vehicles. [Y2] 0100 UTC liftoff. 453 km x 93.7 deg orbit. World's first successful orbital launch by a LCH4/LOX rocket. [Y3] 2339 UTC launch. 433 x 461 km x 97.26 deg. Still used TQ-12/TQ-11 powered Stage 2. *ABBREVIATIONS SITE JQ: Jiquin Satellite Launch Center ORBIT LEO: LOW EARTH ORBIT LEO/S: SUN SYNCHRONOUS LOW EARTH ORBIT SUB: SUB-ORBITAL MISSION [FTO]: FAILED TO ORBIT [LEO]: UNPLANNED LEO ------------------------------------------------------------------ SPACE LAUNCH REPORT Landspace Zhuque 2 (ZQ-2) China's Pioneering LOX/Methane Launch Vehicle by: Ed Kyle Landspace developed Zhuque 2, the world's first LOX/Methane orbital launch vehicle. It is a two-stage liquid propellant rocket able to lift 4 tonnes to a 500 km sun synchronous orbit, or 4 tonnes to a 200 km x 40 deg orbit. It is expected to fly from Jiquan Satellite Launch Center launch pad 96. References