China will launch its first liquid-fueled rocket in 2022

A private company in China will launch the country's first liquid-fueled rocket this year.

The Chinese private company Landspace completed the first stage assembly of the four engines for the Zhuque-2 in February 2021.

According to the Global Times, Zhuque-2 is a rocket powered by liquefied oxygen and methane, built by the Chinese private company Landspace. It is the most powerful rocket developed by a private company and will make its first flight in 2022.

Zhuque-2 is a two-stage liquid propellant rocket, with a diameter of 3.35 meters and a height of 49.5 meters. It weighs 216 tons and has a thrust of 268 tons. The rocket can put a 4-ton payload into Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km or a 6-ton payload into low-Earth orbit. Sources say it is also capable of sending two standard sport utility vehicles into space at the same time.

If successfully launched, Zhuque-2 will become the first rocket using technology to launch using oxygen fuel and liquefied methane in China. It will also become the first liquid rocket developed by a private Chinese company to achieve this feat.

The US-based website Spacenews.com cited satellite images and social media posts as saying that construction of the launch facility for Zhuque-2 is underway on a new complex in Orange Province. Su, northwest China. A source close to the matter revealed that the mission will be carried out from the Jiuquan launch site.

The website also says that the launch of Zhuque-2 can be seen as a sign of the development of China's nascent space sector.

Landspace declined to disclose the exact schedule of the Zhuque-2 mission, but the company said it could be this year. According to previous reports, the company completed the assembly of the first four engines for the Zhuque-2 in February 2021.