China’s LandSpace Hits Strategic Milestone With Successful Heavy-Lift Methane Rocket Launch

China’s commercial space sector marked a definitive breakthrough Thursday as LandSpace Technology successfully launched an enhanced, long-body version of its Zhuque-2 rocket, signaling that the nation’s private sector is now capable of the heavy lifting required for massive satellite megaconstellations. The Zhuque-2E Y5 rocket lifted off at 11:00 a.m. local time from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Trial Zone. The vehicle, powered by liquid oxygen and methane, a propellant favored by companies like SpaceX for its reusability potential, deployed a 2.8-ton experimental payload into a 900-kilometer orbit. The success comes at a critical juncture for Beijing as China races to…