Tag: Zhuque-2E
-
China successfully debuts tallest rocket, LandSpace prepares for second landing attempt
China kicked off a busy month with three missions for a single internet constellation in the span of nearly four days. Another maiden launch saw the nation’s tallest rocket successfully reach orbit, though the debut raised eyebrows with the absence of airspace notices ahead of the mission. Similarly, its first asteroid-sampling mission appears to have…
-
Launch Preview: Chinese, Rocket Lab, and Starlink flights scheduled
The upcoming week features flights from China, California, Virginia, and Florida. Three Starlink launches, two from Vandenberg and one from Cape Canaveral, are set for this week along with a HASTE suborbital flight from Wallops. Internationally, flights are scheduled from Jiuquan and Wenchang in China. ZhuQue-2E is set to make its first operational flight with a…
-
China Launches 18 Qianfan Satellites as Zhuque-2E Returns to Flight
How many Qianfan satellites did China launch in its latest expansion? China successfully deployed 18 new satellites to its Qianfan megaconstellation via Long March 6A, while Landspace returned to flight with its upgraded Zhuque-2E rocket on May 14, 2026. The dual missions mark significant progress for both China’s state broadband constellation program and its commercial…
-
Launch Preview: SpaceX and Chinese missions fill busy launch manifest
The week of May 11 brings nine launches across the United States and China, spanning government and commercial operators on both sides of the Pacific. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 accounts for four missions: a Cargo Dragon resupply flight to the International Space Station, a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload from Vandenberg, a Starlink mission, and a…
-
Surge in static fires as China’s space sector gains momentum
As China’s launch cadence continues to accelerate, so too has the pace of engine testing in recent weeks. A growing number of commercial launch providers are edging closer to the maiden flights of new vehicles — several of which are still on track to debut before the end of the year. Meanwhile, taikonauts aboard the…
-
Chinese launch cadence accelerates, Tianwen-2 prepares for launch
This month has seen the launches of three different commercial Chinese rockets, and the return-to-flight of a rocket that last flew in mid-2021. China has also begun deploying the world’s first space-based computing satellite constellation. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for China’s second interplanetary mission — a milestone two-part journey to return samples from an asteroid…
-
Launch Roundup: Orbital launches from five countries planned
On the heels of a busy April, activity is ramping up for May with launches from five countries and six launch sites on three continents this week. A new orbital launch site in Australia was scheduled to make its debut, but was delayed due to an issue with the launch vehicle, while launches from sites…
-
China launches three taikonauts to Tiangong, commercial sector continues to expand
China has launched its ninth crewed mission to the Tiangong space station, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the launch of Dongfanghong-1, the country’s first satellite. Meanwhile, China has achieved the world’s first network of satellites using a distant retrograde orbit (DRO) in Earth-Moon space, with its DRO-B satellite completing a final manoeuver this month.…
-
China Roundup: Chang Zheng 8A set for debut, Chinese hopper flies 75 km high-altitude test
China’s Chang Zheng 8A rocket is set for its maiden flight from the Hainan commercial spaceport this month. Meanwhile, a Chang Zheng 12A development prototype flew a 75 km high-altitude test flight this week with an uncertain outcome. 2025 has begun with land and sea launches as commercial companies gear up to debut new and…
-
Chang Zheng 12, ZhuQue-2E fly maiden missions; Hainan spaceport and mega constellations expand
In late November, two new Chinese rockets took their maiden flights within four days of each other, with the Chang Zheng 12 and Landspace’s enhanced ZhuQue-2E successfully completing their missions. This week saw the first launch of the Chang Zheng 5B heavy-lift vehicle in over two years, carrying an initial batch of satellites for another…