China’s LandSpace launches 6 satellites on methane-powered rocket

Chinese private space firm LandSpace Technology successfully launched six satellites into orbit on May 17 using its methane-powered Zhuque-2E Y2 rocket, advancing efforts to develop cleaner, cost-effective reusable rockets.

The rocket lifted off at 12:12 p.m. local time (04:12 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, marking the fifth launch in the Zhuque-2 series, the Beijing-based company announced, Caliber.Az reports via Reuters.

LandSpace made history in July 2023 by becoming the first company worldwide to launch a rocket powered by methane and liquid oxygen—beating US rivals such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Interest in methane as a rocket fuel has surged due to its lower emissions, safety benefits, and compatibility with reusable launch systems.

The latest launch reflects growing demand in China’s expanding commercial space sector, which is increasingly focused on building satellite constellations as alternatives to networks like Elon Musk’s Starlink.

While LandSpace’s inaugural methane launch in 2023 did not carry operational satellites, its second mission in December successfully deployed three. The mission on May 17 more than doubled that number, sending six satellites into orbit. The payload, developed primarily by Chinese firm Spacety (also known as Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute), included a radar satellite, two multispectral satellites, and three research satellites, weighing between 20 and 300 kilograms.

The three research-focussed satellites will help with China's deep-space exploration ambitions, while the pair of multispectral satellites will be dedicated to environmental monitoring and identifying mineral deposits, respectively, said Li Xiaoming, vice president of Spacety, during a livestream hosted by LandSpace.

Li noted that the radar satellite is capable of capturing all-weather, day-and-night imagery and detecting millimetre-scale surface shifts—an asset for urban planning, infrastructure maintenance, and disaster monitoring.

Spacety came under scrutiny in January 2023 when the US Treasury Department sanctioned the company over allegations it had supplied radar satellite data to a Russian firm linked to the Wagner Group’s operations in Ukraine. The company has denied the allegations, asserting its products are strictly for commercial and civilian purposes.

By Sabina Mammadli