LandSpace or Landspace Technology Corporation is a Chinese private space launch company based in Beijing. It was founded by Tsinghua University in 2015. The company conducted its first launch of the Zhuque-1 rocket on 27 October 2018, however the payload failed to reach orbit due to an issue with the third stage. The firm aims to develop, build and operate a solid fueled orbital rocket Zhuque-1, which is technologically based on the Long March 11 rocket of the Chinese government. LandSpace also aims to develop an original rocket design, the liquid fueled orbital rocket Zhuque-2.
Rockets
Zhuque-1
Zhuque-1, also called LandSpace-1 or LS-1, is a -tall, three-stage solid-propellant rocket. All stages have a diameter of 1.35 m. It is likely based on the DF-26 missile's rocket motor. Zhuque-1 has a takeoff mass of and a thrust of, and is able to carry of payload into a low Earth orbit. The maiden flight of Zhuque-1 was on 27 October 2018 from a mobile platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying Weila-1 satellite for China Central Television. After a successful first- and second-stage firing, and fairing separation, the payload failed to reach orbit due to an issue with the third stage. Zhuque-1 was the first Chinese private orbital rocket to attempt an orbital launch. According so some reports, the manufacturer of the solid rocket motors has ended their contract with LandSpace. This raised doubts as to whether there will be a second flight of Zhuque-1.
Zhuque-2
LandSpace is also developing a liquid-fuelled rocket called Zhuque-2. Zhuque-2 is a medium-sized rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane capable of lifting 4,000 kg of payload into a 200 km low Earth orbit, or 2,000 kg of payload into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit., the rocket was planned to be launched in 2020. Zhuque-2 will have a liftoff weight of 216 metric tons and use multiple Tianque-12 methalox engines - each with a thrust of up to 80 metric tonnes. In May 2019, LandSpace did test firings of its liquid methane and LOX fuelled TQ-12 rocket engine at its test facility at Huzhou, Zhejiang province. LandSpace's head of research and development, Ge Minghe, says the engine has a thrust of 80 tonnes. The Huzhou facility will be able to produce about 15 ZQ 2 rockets and 200 TQ-12 engines starting in 2020, according to CEO, Zhang Changwu.
Marketplace
LandSpace is one of several Chinese solid rocket startups in competition, others being OneSpace, LinkSpace, and ExPace.
