China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 Launch of Constellation Test Satellite

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 Launch of Constellation Test Satellite

The Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 carrier rocket blasted off at 11:00 am Beijing time on May 14, 2026, from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, delivering a 2.8-ton test payload into a 900 km orbit, paving the way for satellite constellation networking.

What’s New in the ZQ-2E Y5 Rocket?

• Increased propellant capacity & structural optimization

The extended first-stage tanks, combined with full subcooled propellant loading, increased propellant capacity by ~15%. Structural mass is further reduced through partial insulation removal, optimized cable routing fairings, and removeal of first-stage fins, reflecting a system-level design optimization approach.

• Three-ignition second stage with high-orbit disposal

ZQ-2E Y5 pioneers, among China’s commercial missions, a three-ignition second-stage flight profile featuring tank-pressure ignition + high altitude deorbit. This approach ensures ignition reliability while enabling rapid high-altitude deorbit, addressing traditional challenges and supporting space debris mitigation requirements.

• Toward “Smart Launch Vehicles”

The first stage introduces in-flight engine anomaly detection and thrust self-correction, while the second stage debuts a propellant utilization system. These enable autonomous diagnosis and response to off-nominal conditions (e.g., thrust deviation, mixture ratio shifts), significantly improving flight reliability and service capability.

• Rapid launch capability

Leveraging mature mission operations, the campaign achieved a 13-day launch cycle and ~1.5-hour pre-launch fueling timeline, laying the foundation for high-frequency launch operations with both ZQ-2E and ZQ-3.

Beijing-based LandSpace is a leading Chinese private space company. With its Zhuque-2 rocket, LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket to Earth orbit in July 2023, ahead of U.S. rivals, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone is located near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in nortwestern China that was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.

Credit: Landspace

Date: May 14, 2026

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