LandSpace's Zhuque-2 Enhanced Variant Y1 Carrier Rocket Completes Flight Test Mission Successfully! | XINWEN NEWS

At 10:00 a.m. Beijing time on November 27, 2024, LandSpace's Zhuque-2 Enhanced Y1 carrier rocket (ZQ-2E Y1) lifted off from the LandSpace liquid oxygen-methane launch pad at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone. It successfully delivered the Guangchuan-01 and 02 experimental satellites to their designated orbits, completing the flight test mission.

LandSpace is one of China's earliest commercial rocket companies and the first private launch vehicle enterprise to obtain all required certifications and achieve orbital success using a self-developed liquid engine.

As one of LandSpace's early investors, the Heart Capital team began researching China's aerospace sector six years ago and has consistently believed in the market potential and growth prospects of private companies in this field. The team made early-stage investments in both LandSpace, which focuses on liquid oxygen-methane technology, and Micro-Nano Star, a leading company in high-end satellite R&D and manufacturing. Both companies drew significant global attention at the recently concluded China Airshow.

The Zhuque-2 Enhanced Y1 uses a two-stage configuration, with both stages powered by liquid oxygen-methane propellant. The rocket stands 47.3 meters tall with a body diameter of 3.35 meters and a maximum fairing diameter of 3.35 meters. It has a launch mass of 219 metric tons and a liftoff thrust of 282 metric tons. The second stage features a newly developed module with a single-layer common bulkhead tank and tunnel feed line design, reducing stage length and overall vehicle weight. The first stage uses four TQ-12 liquid oxygen-methane engines in parallel, while the second stage uses a single TQ-15A engine with 85 metric tons of vacuum thrust, complemented by a YQ-10 auxiliary propulsion system for precise attitude adjustment, final velocity correction, propellant settling, orbital maneuvering, and deorbit functions.

The Zhuque-2 Enhanced carrier rocket was independently developed by LandSpace with full intellectual property rights. It builds comprehensively on the proven technology of the Zhuque-2 medium liquid oxygen-methane rocket, which has achieved consecutive launch successes, while incorporating extensive optimizations and improvements. It has now officially entered commercial operations for batch market delivery. With a payload capacity of 4 metric tons to 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, the Zhuque-2 Enhanced will become a workhorse rocket for the commercial satellite launch market, leveraging its highly competitive cost advantages, delivery reliability, and proven launch stability.

As a technology leader in commercial launch vehicles, LandSpace has actively pursued independent R&D of key technologies and self-sufficiency in critical components, building on its established technical expertise and comprehensive end-to-end delivery system. The company continues to tackle and break through the key technologies required for low-cost, high-frequency, heavy-lift launch vehicles. The Zhuque-2 Enhanced is China's first all-cryogenic dual-cryogenic liquid launch vehicle using full subcooling; it employs the country's first single-layer common bulkhead tank design for a liquid launch vehicle; and the TQ-15A engine uses China's first large-diameter high-precision niobium alloy nozzle manufacturing technology. Additionally, this mission marked several domestic firsts: a probability-based flight load calculation method for high-wind regions, a stage separation design eliminating positive-thrust rockets, and an intermittent propellant settling scheme during the coasting phase.

The mission was conducted in strict accordance with the company's quality management system and test safety protocols. Dedicated safety measures were developed and implemented, and multiple drills enabled standardized, normalized, and data-driven mission management. The team also organized quality-focused reviews, maintained rigorous technical state control and verification, ensured orderly schedule execution, and effectively resolved issues to pass all milestone reviews — laying a solid foundation for mission success.

As a critical direction for next-generation launch vehicles, LandSpace will continue to focus on advancing its liquid oxygen-methane propulsion systems and strengthening full-vehicle key supporting capabilities, increasing investment and enhancing operational capacity. Looking ahead to the next two years, both the Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 carrier rockets will enter steady operations and commercial launch phases. Drawing on years of mature industry practice in commercial rocketry, the company aims to achieve low-cost, large-scale, high-efficiency manufacturing and delivery alongside continuous, stable launch success — meeting the needs of China's satellite internet construction and various commercial launch missions, and contributing LandSpace's share to the development of China's satellite internet industry.

Founded in 2022, Heart Capital is a China-based early-stage venture capital fund focused on technology and digitalization. The team is led by Yan Han, founding partner of Lightspeed China, alongside core investors, a CFO, and seasoned industry investors. Notable past investments include Series A rounds in Xpeng Motors (NYSE: XPEV, 09868.HK), Full Truck Alliance (NYSE: YMM), as well as FinVolution (NYSE: FINV), RoboSense (02498.HK), Baichuan, Manman Cold Chain, Fan Deng Reading, World Logistics, Micro-Nano Star, LandSpace, Lanhu, and Starfield. Rooted in China with a global outlook, Heart Capital seeks genuine value in non-consensus spaces. The firm honors the value of people and champions the potential of the human spirit, looking forward to supporting more young Chinese entrepreneurs in strengthening China and expanding onto the world stage.