science

Zhuque-2

Zhuque-2 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Zhuque-2 rather than just read about it. In short: Zhuque-2 (Chinese: 朱雀二号; pinyin: Zhūquè èr hào; lit. 'Zhuque-2', ZQ-2) is a Chinese medium-class orbital launch vehicle developed by LandSpace. It is a liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox) and was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.

Key takeaways

Zhuque-2 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Zhuque-2 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Zhuque-2 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Zhuque-2 (Chinese: 朱雀二号; pinyin: Zhūquè èr hào; lit. 'Zhuque-2', ZQ-2) is a Chinese medium-class orbital launch vehicle developed by LandSpace. It is a liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox) and was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.

Design Zhuque-2 has a liftoff weight of 216 tonnes and uses 4 TQ-12 methalox engines in the first stage, each with a thrust of 67 tonnes-force (660 kN). The second stage uses one vacuum-optimized TQ-12 with a thrust of 80 tonnes-force (780 kN) in combination with a TQ-11 engine (8 tonnes-force (78 kN) thrust), which acts as a vernier thruster. Zhuque-2 is capable of lifting 6,000 kg of payload into a 200 km low Earth orbit and 4,000 kg of payload into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.

History In May 2019, LandSpace performed test firings of its liquid-methane and liquid-oxygen fuelled TQ-12 rocket engine at its test facility at Huzhou, Zhejiang province. LandSpace's head of research and development, Ge Minghe, says that the engine has a thrust of 80 tonnes-force. The Huzhou facility will be able to produce about 15 ZQ-2 rockets and 200 TQ-12 engines starting in 2022, according to CEO, Zhang Changwu. On 14 December 2022, LandSpace conducted the debut flight of Zhuque-2, but failed to reach orbit due to an early shutdown of its second-stage vernier engines after the second-stage main engines apparently completed a successful burn. It was the world's first orbital launch attempt by a methane-fueled launch vehicle. In March 2023, LandSpace confirmed that the second Zhuque-2 launch vehicle had completed assembly and was undergoing preparations for a launch attempt in the coming months. On 12 July 2023, Zhuque-2 became the first methane-fueled launch vehicle to reach orbit after a successful second flight.

variant

Zhuque-2E

An enhanced version of the rocket, the Zhuque-2E, successfully placed two satellites into orbit on 27 November 2024. The new version of the rocket differs from the initial variant by featuring a common bulkhead tank structure, a new TQ-15 liquid oxygen and methane engine with thrust vectoring capabilities on the second stage, and a new niobium alloy nozzle extension on the enhanced TQ-15A engine.

ZQ-2E (Block 2) The Zhuque-2E (Y5), launched on 14 May 2026, is the first of the Block 2 subvariant of the launch vehicle. Various improvements were included on the Block 2 variant which allow the launch vehicle to reach its full designed capabilities such as lifting 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) to Low Earth orbit and 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) to a 500 kilometre SSO orbit. Improvements over the base ZQ-2E include: lengthened first-stage tanks, full subcooled propellant loading, a three-ignition second stage allowing orbital disposal, and an accelerated launch campaign and launch cycle. According to Spacenews.com, the 14 May 2026 article wrote, "...launch successfully inserted a 2,800-kilogram customized payload described as a 'large-scale constellation deployment experiment' into a 900-kilometer polar orbit, ... The mission demonstrated high-mass payload launch capability and readiness for multi-satellite launch services, the company said in a post-launch statement, as it looks to secure launch contracts from China’s megaconstellation projects."

Launch statistics

Launch outcomes

Launches

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Zhuque-2

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Zhuque-2 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Zhuque-2 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Zhuque-2 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Zhuque-2

In research: Zhuque-2 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Zhuque-2 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Zhuque-2 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2022 establishments in China, LandSpace, Private space launch vehicles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Zhuque-2 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Zhuque-2 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Zhuque-2 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Zhuque-2 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Zhuque-2 in simple terms?

Why does Zhuque-2 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Zhuque-2?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Zhuque-2.