Zhuque-2 / launch vehicle
sourcingtypical 4/5 · 13 factsZhuque-2 is a Chinese medium-class orbital launch vehicle developed by LandSpace, powered by liquid oxygen and methane, and was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit, on its second flight on 12 July 2023. The baseline Zhuque-2 can lift 4,000 kg to a 200 km LEO and 1,500 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit; the enhanced Zhuque-2E variant, flying since November 2024, raises this to 6,000 kg LEO and 4,000 kg SSO. Per the cited page's infobox, the family has flown 8 times with 5 successes, and the baseline Zhuque-2 variant is now retired in favor of Zhuque-2E.
key details
faq
Who builds Zhuque-2?
Zhuque-2 is built by LandSpace. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
How many times has Zhuque-2 flown?
Zhuque-2 has flown 8 times. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
When did Zhuque-2 first fly?
Zhuque-2 first flew on 2022-12-14. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
Is Zhuque-2 reusable?
Zhuque-2 is not reusable. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
facts
events
- seismic2026-08-18LandSpace lands Zhuque-3 booster on second flight, a China first
- major2026-07-02China's Hongqing Technology raises $191 million
- notable2026-07-01China names 271 members of state-backed commercial space consortium
- notable2026-06-15Landspace Zhuque-2E upper stage breaks apart in orbit crossed by Starlink satellites
timeline
- 20262026-05-14LandSpace launches improved Zhuque-2E Block 2 (per SpaceNews) (source, as of 2026-07-12)
- 20232023-12-09LandSpace launches Zhuque-2 Y-3 carrying three satellites (source, as of 2026-07-12)
- 2023-07-12LandSpace's Zhuque-2 becomes first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit (source, as of 2026-07-12)
- 20222022-12-14LandSpace's Zhuque-2 fails to reach orbit on maiden flight (source, as of 2026-07-12)