Double Stainless Steel Rocket News in China!
This post was originally published on March 31st 2024.
This week has been busy once again with news from LandSpace and Space Epoch.
LandSpace
LandSpace did not say much this week but did release images of Zhuque-3 hardware in various stages of development. The photos included pictures of what is believed to be a 'downcomer' pipe and parts of both liquid methane and liquid oxygen tanks. No tank domes however were spotted.
None of the Zhuque-3 tanks pictured are known to have domes but likely do exist due to the company having performed a 'hop with a similar vehicle.
It has been theorized that Zhuque-3 has undergone a diameter change due to the release of these images, but I do not think that is the case. Looking at the rest of the images, I believe the tanks are still 4.5 meters in diameter. However, due to a lack of a clear image from above, I cannot say for sure with full confidence.
It is nice to have images directly from LandSpace once again to know where Zhuque-3 may be in development ahead of its debut next year. The launchpad is also reportedly under construction at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, as commercial imagery of the site was taken and ground soil appears to have been moved.
Space Epoch
Space Epoch is a company rarely heard from, but today it was reported that Taobao, which is China's equivalent of Amazon, is looking to work with the company on point-to-point delivery of items.
It's unclear how the transportation of items would work with the rocket as the booster is only planned to be recovered at sea with no known second-stage reuse plans.
The booster currently only plans to be guided by cold gas thrusters for descent. After splashdown, the booster would move onto its side with the cargo section likely being in the water.
Space Epoch could eventually land its boosters on a drone ship but plans for future reuse developments are unclear.
Development of the rocket is reportedly going smoothly, with a static fire of the engine attached to a test tank having happened in 2023. Similar to Zhuque-3, the rocket will be built from stainless steel and utilize the same fuels.