Alberta could soon have another market for its natural gas resources: rocket fuel..A Chinese company is claiming success with the launch of the world’s first methane-powered rocket, beating rivals SpaceX and even NASA to the punch..Bearing the slogan 'Bringing Green Power to Life,' the Zhuque-2 (Redbird in English) lifted off from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre in the Gobi Desert last Wednesday and successfully reached orbit, energy service provider CGL said in a news release on Friday.. Chinese rocketGlad tidings: China launches world’s first methane rocket. .The launch was confirmed by publicly available US military tracking data. It was the second attempt after a failed maiden flight last December. .It’s unique because it uses a combination of liquid methane — the primary component of natural gas — and oxygen known as ‘methalox’ which is considered more environmentally friendly than conventional rocket fuel composed primarily of kerosene or hydrazine, which is toxic. .It’s also safer and easier to handle than liquid hydrogen, which caused the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986. Methane is also denser than hydrogen, which means more thrust can be generated in a smaller volume..CGL, along with rocket manufacturer LandSpace Technology Corp., said the launch puts China ahead of the global space race and advances efforts to send humans to Mars..“This milestone paves the way for the country's private aerospace industry to develop next-gen low-cost, high-performance, heavy-duty carrier rocket solutions,” it said..LandSpace was founded in 2015 by Zhang Changwu..Although it’s listed as a private company, it’s widely believed to be an extension of the People’s Liberation Army’s space program using technology developed by the military..Using methane as the primary fuel is important because NASA researchers believe it can be manufactured using existing natural resources found on the Martian surface..Back on Earth, it’s also more environmentally friendly, with fewer carbon emissions.. SpaceX StarshipSpaceX’s Starship on the launchpad. .The other advantage is that it burns without coke residue which fouls the nozzles of conventional rocket engines and prevents them from being reused..“As environmental considerations have come to the forefront of rocket research and development, nations around the world are seeking replacements to carbon-incentive technology as part of efforts to combat climate change,” CGL said. .“Methane stands out as a new-type, low-carbon alternative to its traditional counterparts in many aspects, including lower weight, less space, and streamlined maintenance.”.Various countries, including the US and India have been researching methane as a rocket fuel for decades..In April, Elon Musk’s SpaceX test launched its Starship vehicle from Texas for the first time, but the mission was “terminated” — it exploded — before reaching orbit. Relativity Space also tested a methane rocket in April but it misfired after liftoff..But China’s Redbird rocket is relatively small in comparison, standing barely 150-feet tall, about the size of a missile, with a payload of about four tonnes..By contrast, SpaceX’s Starship generates about 380,000 pounds of thrust and stands almost 500-feet tall. It carries payloads of up to 250 tonnes, which would make it the largest rocket ever put into space, even bigger than the Titan rockets that put men on the Moon. .Also, Musk is aiming to reuse the Starship’s Raptor engines more than 1,000 times.. SpaceX blowing up .In June, Musk said SpaceX has made “well over 1,000 changes” to the Super Heavy rocket booster after a second attempt to reach orbit, possibly later this fall.."I think the probability of this next flight working, getting to orbit, is much higher than the last one. Maybe it's like 60%,” Musk said on a live Twitter discussion. “It depends on how well we do at stage separation."
