China Startup Hopes Methane-Powered Rocket Will Beat SpaceX to Orbit
- LandSpace wants to be first to use compound for orbital launch
- Company one of many in China working to make resuable rockets
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A Chinese startup seeking to be the country’s answer to SpaceX is preparing a satellite launch that could beat Elon Musk’s company and other rivals by relying on the next generation of rocket fuel.
LandSpace Technology Corp. expected to launch an uncrewed rocket that burns a combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen to put its payload into orbit on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. By Wednesday evening in China, it wasn’t clear if the launch had taken place, or if it had been successful.