Watch tile-shedding private Chinese rocket launch 6 satellites to orbit

Watch tile-shedding private Chinese rocket launch 6 satellites to orbit

Chinese company LandSpace sent six satellites into orbit on Saturday (May 17) aboard its methane-powered, tile-shedding Zhugque-2E rocket.

A Chinese Rocket Fueled by Methane Launches Six Satellites into Orbit

On the arid lands of northwest Chinese, a column of fire recently torn the sky. On May 17, a Zhuque-2e rocket left the Jiuquan base to place six orbit satellites. This launch is not a simple technical feat, but the sign of a strategic mutation. From now on, China’s spatial ambitions are also embodied in its private companies. Carried by fuel to methane, clean and efficient, the Zhuque-2e rocket marks a break with traditional approaches in the ae…

On the arid lands of China's north-west, a fire column recently torn the sky. On 17 May, a Zhuque-2E rocket left Jiuquan's base to place six satellites in orbit. This launch is not a mere technical feat, but a sign of strategic change. China's space ambitions are now also reflected in its private companies. The Zhuque-2E rocket, carried by clean and efficient methane fuel, is a break with the traditional approaches of the aerospace sector, while…

See the Chinese rocket that surprised aurora watchers

On May 16, 2025, Mike Lewinski was doing time lapse photography of the aurora in Colorado when a white streak sailed across the sky. The bright streak had many stargazers buzzing on social media, wondering what they saw. It appears it was a fuel dump from a Chinese rocket that had just launched. Image via Mike Lewinski. Used with permission. Your support = more science, more stars, more wonder. Donate to EarthSky and be part of something bigger.…