China launches modified ZQ-2 carrier rocket

China on Wednesday successfully launched the modified ZQ-2 Y-1 carrier rocket into space from a commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China.

The carrier rocket blasted off at 10:00 a.m. (Beijing Time) and sent two test satellites into planned orbits.

Developed by the Chinese private rocket company LandSpace, the modified ZQ-2 Y-1 carrier rocket, also named ZQ-2E Y-1, features a two-stage configuration with liquid oxygen and methane as propellant.

According to the rocket developer, with a total length of 47.3 meters and a takeoff thrust of 282 tonnes, the rocket can send a payload of 4 tonnes to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit.

It adopts the propellant full-supercooling filling scheme of liquid oxygen and liquid methane in parallel, which makes the filling process more concise, efficient and safe. Thus, it can achieve a fast propellant full-supercooling filling within 1.5 hours, simplifying the pre-launch process of the launch vehicle, according to the rocket developer.

The low temperature of the propellant can effectively increase the rocket’s propellant density, enhance its carrying capacity, improve the engine performance and further optimize the stability and reliability of the rocket flight, the developer added.