(SpaceNews) China’s iSpace launches and lands rocket test stage
(SpaceNews) China’s iSpace launches and lands rocket test stage
China’s iSpace launches and lands rocket test stage Chinese commercial rocket company iSpace has successfully launched and safely landed a test article on its path to developing a reusable launch vehicle.
The Hyperbola-2 methane-liquid oxygen reusable verification stage rose to a height of 178 meters during its 51-second flight. It performed a powered descent and soft landing, supported by four landing legs. The 3.35-meter-diameter, 17m-long test stage is powered by a variable thrust Focus-1 engine.
The vertical takeoff, vertical landing test marks progress towards a reusable medium-lift rocket to debut in 2025. It is also the latest marker in Chinese efforts to emulate the success of SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket.
