China’s iSpace performs first ever Chinese private sector launch.
China’s rapidly expanding aerospace industry achieved a significant milestone Thursday, July 25, with the first ever successful launch of a commercially-developed rocket.
Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd, known as iSpace, launched their Hyperbola-1 rocket at 1pm Chinese Standard Time, or 1am EDT, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert. The rocket carried four payloads; three of them were attached to the rocket’s upper stage while the fourth, the CAS-7B radio satellite, was launched for Chinese Central Television. Hyperbola-1 stands more than 20.8 meters tall (65.2 feet) with a diameter of 1.5 meters (4.6 feet). Two of the rocket’s three stages are fueled by solid propellant while the vehicle’s third stage consists of liquid propellant.
This marked the first time a launch vehicle developed by a private company, rather than the state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation orbited a satellite. Two other Chese NewSpace firms, LandSpace Technology Corporation and OneSpace Technology Co, attempted orbital launches in late 2018 and early 2019 but were unsuccessful.
iSpace plans on using Hyperbola-1 as a testbed for technology needed for Hyperbola-2, a 98-foot, two stage, reusable liquid fueled rocket powered by an in-house developed JD-1 methalox engine. The company hopes this could launch two tons to low Earth orbit by 2021.
Burning liquid Methane and Oxygen, methalox engines are becoming popular in the commercial space industry as the most efficient means of reusable rocket engine technology. SpaceX is developing their methalox Raptor engine for the Starship and Super Heavy launch vehicles.
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