China's Zhuque-3 Reusable Rocket Passes Key Milestone (universetoday.com) 42
China's private space company LandSpace has completed a key static fire test of its Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) reusable rocket -- a stainless-steel, methane-fueled launcher modeled after SpaceX's Starship. Universe Today reports: The latest milestone took place on Monday, Oct. 22nd at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone (where the JSLC is located). It involved another static fire test, where the rocket was fully-fueled but remained fixed to the launch pad while the engines were fired. This kind of testing is a crucial prelaunch trial (what NASA refers to as a "wet dress rehearsal"), and places the company and China another step closer to making an inaugural flight test, which is expected to happen by the fourth quarter of 2025.
In traditional Chinese, Zhuque is the name of the Vermillion Bird that represents fire, the south, and summer, and is one of the four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. Like the Starship, the Zhuque-3 is composed of stainless steel and relies on a combination of liquid methane (LCH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant. The rocket will be powered by nine Tianque-12A (TQ-12A) engines and will measure 65.9 m (216 ft) tall and weigh 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb). It's payload capacity will be significantly less than the Starship: 11,800 kg (26,000 lbs) in its expendable mode, and 8,000 kg (18,000 lbs) for the recoverable version. This is closer in payload capacity to the Falcon 9, which is capable of delivering 22,800 kg (50,265 lbs) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
In time, the company hopes to transition to the larger Zhuque-3E, which will be 76.2 m (250 ft) tall and powered by nine TQ-12B engines, and will be capable of delivering to 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) in its expandable mode and 18,300 kg (40,300 lb) recoverable. The long term goal is to create a reusable system that can rival the Falcon rocket family, bringing the country closer to its goal of achieving parity with NASA.
In traditional Chinese, Zhuque is the name of the Vermillion Bird that represents fire, the south, and summer, and is one of the four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. Like the Starship, the Zhuque-3 is composed of stainless steel and relies on a combination of liquid methane (LCH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant. The rocket will be powered by nine Tianque-12A (TQ-12A) engines and will measure 65.9 m (216 ft) tall and weigh 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb). It's payload capacity will be significantly less than the Starship: 11,800 kg (26,000 lbs) in its expendable mode, and 8,000 kg (18,000 lbs) for the recoverable version. This is closer in payload capacity to the Falcon 9, which is capable of delivering 22,800 kg (50,265 lbs) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
In time, the company hopes to transition to the larger Zhuque-3E, which will be 76.2 m (250 ft) tall and powered by nine TQ-12B engines, and will be capable of delivering to 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) in its expandable mode and 18,300 kg (40,300 lb) recoverable. The long term goal is to create a reusable system that can rival the Falcon rocket family, bringing the country closer to its goal of achieving parity with NASA.
Chinese Food (Score:2)
Such a vehicle will be perfect for the delivery of Chinese food to those working in Earth orbit.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why would anyone want Americans delivering Chinese food to them in space?
I swear to the gods, sometimes the shit you read on Slashdot just makes zero sense at all.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Only if you want your delivery to be very expensive. The article kind of didn't bother to mention that only the ZQ-3's first stage is reusable, so it's more like a "Starship-esque Falcon 9", both in terms of reusability, size, payload, diameter, etc..
Re: (Score:2)
If you can afford Chinese food, you can afford to have it delivered to you in space on a Chinese rocket by Chinese astronauts.
Re: (Score:1)
Well???
What is "the saying" you refer to??
As for terminology, I partly agree. If someone is speaking or writing in Mandarin, then, by all means, use the Mandarin word for astronaut. But if you are writing or speaking English, then use the English word, rather than dropping in some made up bullshit.
Re: (Score:2)
'astronaut' isn't even really English - it was coined from two ancient Greek words meaning star-sailor. c.f. Argonaut.
a perfectly cromulent English word - 'sky-walker'.
Re:Taikonauts? Really? We speak American here! (Score:4, Informative)
Except that it is. That's how new words are made.
And your etymology is a fantasy. Jason's boat was the Argo, and the people on it were the Argo's sailors.
Re: (Score:3)
You've confused c.f. with e.g..
No such thing as Taikonauts (Score:4, Informative)
'astronaut' isn't even really English - it was coined from two ancient Greek words meaning star-sailor. c.f. Argonaut.
And "taikonaut" isn't even really Mandarin-- it was a word coined by westerners in a sort of chinese/greek mishmash language, and not the word used in Chinese. The Mandarin word is hangtianyuan.
Re: (Score:3)
I really doubt that Chinese rocket scientists are simply copying without understanding.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: Taikonauts? Really? We speak American here! (Score:2)
I wonder..... (Score:3)
If the Chinese will take away sweet and sour memories of this milestone.
Re: (Score:3)
I think by "modeled" they're just trying to politely say "is the result of Chinese spying on SpaceX".
I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying, I think that's what they're trying to say, without saying it.
Re: (Score:2)
The advantages of methalox for reusable rockets are no secret.
Stainless steel is a proven material for rockets. And if SpaceX gave up on carbon composite, anyone else would be brave to persist.
Re: (Score:2)
Even if it isn't spying, it is far easier to do something that you have proof than it can be done, and that it is cost effective, than develop it from scratch when everyone says that it is impossible.
It is still insanely difficult, as Musk says, so kudos to the Chinese.
Re: (Score:2)
So, you're saying that if foreign born people like Musk and Chinese people can do something, it's not all that hard to do? Is that it?
Re: (Score:2)
All engineering is influenced by other engineering. Most aircraft look more or less the same because that's the state of the art most efficient shape.
This company got the first methane powered rocket to orbit.
Clueless Journalism (Score:2)
"In traditional Chinese, Zhuque is the name of the Vermillion Bird that represents fire, the south, and summer, and is one of the four Symbols of the Chinese constellations."
Phoenix. The bird is the Phoenix.
Also, stainless steel is only required for methanol handling parts (fuel tank, fuel lines, etc.). I suspect the rest of the rocket uses other materials.
Re:Clueless Journalism (Score:4, Interesting)
The Phoenix was originally a myth of an Egyptian bird, originally named, I believe, in Greek.
The Chinese have their own mythological history, and "phoenix" doesn't exactly map onto it. Saying that the phoenix is the same as the Zhuque is analogous to saying that Jehovah is the same as Zeus...they were/are both storm gods, but they were/are significantly different. (I'm not sure what tense to use in that sentence.)
Re: (Score:1)
>> stainless steel is only required for methanol handling parts
Nope, the entire body of the rocket is stainless steel just like the SpaceX rocket. Clearly it is a copy, and it wouldn't surprise me if China has hacked the entire design.
Re: (Score:2)
The only thing they would really need to hack is the rocket engine design .. and theirs quite different than what SpaceX is using (gas generator vs full flow staged combustion). As for the structure .. everyone knows it's a big stainless steel cylinder, and the alloy isn't exotic.
Re: (Score:2)
There are zillions of proprietary design features of the Starship rocket beyond just the engines and the shell. China has a long history of copying and/or outright theft of western IP.
https://saisreview.sais.jhu.ed... [jhu.edu]
Re: (Score:2)
Ok, can you name a mechanism or structural feature ..aside from the rocket engine and turbopumps.. that you need proprietary knowledge to duplicate? For example, you could try to claim it's not possible for the Chinese to design a propellant tanks .. but we know they can, because they've had more complex tanks and plumbing required for liquid hydrogen in their Long March 5 and 7A series of rockets. Sure, there may be a one or two thousand kilograms of weight savings with some clever strut design, thinner wa
Re: (Score:2)
>> can you name a mechanism or structural feature ..aside from the rocket engine and turbopumps
I expect that with enough time all aspects of the Starship could potentially be duplicated just from a general description. But it sure won't happen in less than a year like this Zhuque rocket.
"On 19 January 2024, Landspace conducted a successful vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) test using the Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 test vehicle"
And gosh, where did this come from?
"the company had previously announced pl
Re: Clueless Journalism (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah that's what they keep saying in order to justify the rampant theft, but in no way does that excuse it.
Stop Elmo! (Score:2)
Elmo must be stopped!
- Elmo monopolizes 90% of the entire world’s space cargo by weight, and capitalistically charges less than the competition!
- Elmo demands fixed priced contracts instead of cost plus, which is inequity in a nut shell. He makes it impossible to charge for overruns and so fails to equitably support more workers, and fails to equitably rake in extra cash that could be donated to NGOs.
- Elmo has childishly figured out how to get freight costs 90% lower than standard tech (next gen Star
Re: (Score:1)
man its like people saw the "weird nerds take a bullet for elon musk" meme and took it as an instruction manual.
the article and summary don't even mention elon musk and this sad sad motherfucker is slurping it down unprovoked
Exactly! We are soooooo cool! Not square at all!
Bad Elmo! Bad Elmo! Nerds suck!
"China's private space company" (Score:2)