Zhuque-2 (Chinese: 朱雀二号; pinyin: Zhūquè èr hào; lit. 'Vermilion Bird-2', ZQ-2) is a Chinese medium-class orbital launch vehicle developed by LandSpace. It is a liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox), and is the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.^[1][2]

Zhuque-2 has a liftoff weight of 216 metric tons and uses 4 TQ-12 methalox engines in the first stage each with a thrust of 67 metric tonnes.^[3][4] The second stage utilizes one vacuum optimized TQ-12 with a thrust of 80 metric tonnes in combination with an 8 metric tonnes thrust TQ-11 engine which acts as a vernier thruster.^[5]

Zhuque-2 is capable of lifting 6,000 kg of payload into a 200 km low Earth orbit and 4,000 kg of payload into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.^[1][6]

In May 2019, LandSpace performed test firings of its liquid methane and liquid oxygen fuelled TQ-12 rocket engine at its test facility at Huzhou, Zhejiang province. LandSpace's head of research and development, Ge Minghe, says the engine has a thrust of 80 tonnes. The Huzhou facility will be able to produce about 15 ZQ-2 rockets and 200 TQ-12 engines starting in 2022, according to CEO, Zhang Changwu.^[7][8]

On 14 December 2022, LandSpace conducted the debut flight of Zhuque-2, but failed to reach orbit due to an early shutdown of its second stage vernier engines after the second stage main engines apparently completed a successful burn. It was the world's first orbital launch attempt by a methane-fueled launch vehicle.^[9]

In March 2023, LandSpace confirmed that the second Zhuque-2 launch vehicle had completed assembly and was undergoing preparations for a launch attempt in the coming months.^[10]

On 12 July 2023, Zhuque-2 became the first methane-fueled launch vehicle to reach orbit after a successful second flight.^[1][11][12]

• Comparison of orbital launcher families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Expendable launch system
• Lists of rockets