Zhuque-2E Block 2 version
Zhuque-2E Block 2 Zhuque-2E (block 1)
The first Zhuque-2E version, retroactively called "block 1": 47.8 m, 220,000 kg at liftoff and 2,880 kN of thrust. It introduced common-bulkhead tanks, the new TQ-15 second-stage engine with thrust vector control and the niobium alloy nozzle extension on the TQ-12A. It flew three times between 27 November 2024 and 15 August 2025.
- November 27, 2024
- First launch
- 6,000 kg
- LEO capacity
- 2,880 kN
- Thrust
- No
- Reusable
History
A thorough redesign
The Zhuque-2E was not a tweak of the Zhuque-2 but a structural revision. LandSpace adopted common-bulkhead tanks, removed the second-stage vernier engines — the cause of the maiden flight failure — and replaced them with a single TQ-15 with thrust vectoring. The first-stage TQ-12A gained a niobium alloy nozzle extension. The result was a rocket slightly shorter than the original but with half again as much capacity to low Earth orbit.
Three flights and one failure
The maiden flight, on 27 November 2024, was a success. The second, on 17 May 2025, likewise. The third, on 15 August 2025, was lost: according to LandSpace a voltage issue in the second stage triggered the self-destruct system, taking the satellites with it. The return to flight, on 14 May 2026, already used the Block 2 configuration.