Chinese Private Aerospace Firm iSpace Completes 500-second Reusable Liquid Rocket Engine Test
A 15-tonne oxygen rich methane-fueled rocket engine by Chinese aerospace manufacturer iSpace completed a long-range 500-second test in Beijing on December 25.
The engine, JD-1, will be assembled on Hyperbola-2, a reusable liquid oxygen-methane carrier rocket developed by iSpace, which plans to test vertical landing in 2020 and launch into orbit in 2021.
SEE ALSO: The First Commercial Carrier Rocket By China’s Private Companies Launched Into Orbit
The manufacturer iSpace sent the carrier rocket Hyperbola-1 Y1 into orbit in July, it marked the first time any private Chinese aerospace company successfully launched a carrier rocket with payloads into orbit.
As a key to reusable rockets, the engine was designed to be reused for up to 30 times, saving over 70% of the production cost, according to iSpace.
It can be utilized during deceleration, landing and long time in orbit and deep space exploration thanks to its strong adaptability to missions, iSpace stated in a document.
LandSpace, another private Chinese aerospace maker, conducted conducted a long-range trial of the variable thrust on its liquid oxygen methane engine TQ-12 for 200 seconds in October.