China’s methane-powered rocket becomes world’s first to fly into orbit

China’s ZhuQue-2 Y-2 has become the world’s first methane-propelled rocket to successfully fly into orbit, marking a major breakthrough in the cutting-edge technology.

Given their high performance and low operational costs, methane-powered engines are particularly suited for reusable rockets, but it’s not easy harnessing their power. The Zhuque-2 Y-1, the Terran 1 from Relativity Space and Starship from Space Exploration Technology Corporation (SpaceX) all failed in their maiden launches.

But the launch of the Zhuque-2 Y-2 marks another success for China’s private aerospace sector in 2023, following the launch of Space Pioneer’s liquid-propelled Tianlong-2 in April.

Source : CGTN