The inaugural orbital attempt by a DF-26 based Zhuque-1 (ZQ-1) launch vehicle failed to reach orbit on October 27, 2018. The three-stage solid fuel rocket was launched from small mobile type platform at China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 08:00 UTC. The first two stages, based on the “Guam Killer” DF-26 medium range ballistic missile, performed as planned. The payload fairing and third stage separation, and the third stage ignition, also occurred as planned, but flight control was lost during the third stage burn, beginning about 13 seconds into the burn.
A private company named LandSpace performed the launch. A small satellite named Weilai 1 was carried on a mission aimed toward a sun synchronous orbit that was not achieved. Although the flight was heralded as the first orbital attempt by a private Chinese company, the ZQ-1 launch vehicle itself was advertised to be a “product of civil/military integration”.
Second and Third Stages Visible During Pre-Launch Assembly of First ZQ-1
ZQ-1 is 19.1 meters long and 1.35 meters in diameter. It weighs 27 tonnes at liftoff. Its first stage produces 45 tonnes of thrust and burns for about 60.7 seconds. The second stage separates 125.7 seconds after liftoff. The first two stages appear to be approximately the same size. Third stage ignition took place after a coast, at about 367.6 seconds. The stage was expected to burnout about 49 seconds later. The rocket is able to boost 200 kg to a 500 km sun synchronous orbit, or 300 kg to a 200 km, lower inclination orbit.
Also read: Zenit – Space Launch Report
Vehicle Configurations
| LEO Payload (metric tons) | Configuration | LIftoff Height (meters) | Liftoff Mass (metric tons) | ||
| ZQ-1 | 0.3 t (200 km x 40 deg) 0.2 t (500 km x 98.7 deg) | Three solid stages, the first two based on DF-26 MRBM | 19.1 m | 27 t | |
* GEO: Geosynchronous Earth Orbit
Vehicle Components
| Stg 1 | Stg 2 | Stg 3 | Payload Fairing | ||
| Diameter (m) | 1.35 m | 1.35 m | 1.35 m | 1.35 m | |
| Length (m) | ~7.9 m (incl I/S) | ~7.9 m (incl I/S) | ~1.5 m | ~1.8 m | |
| Propellant Mass (tonnes) | |||||
| Empty Mass (tonnes) | |||||
| Total Mass (tonnes) | |||||
| Engine | |||||
| Engine Mfgr | |||||
| Fuel | Solid | Solid | Solid | ||
| Oxidizer | |||||
| Thrust (SL tons) | 45 t | ||||
| Thrust (Vac tons) | |||||
| ISP (SL sec) | |||||
| ISP (Vac sec) | |||||
| Burn Time (sec) | 60.7 s | 65 s | 49.4 s | ||
| No. Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 |
ZQ-1 Launch Log
KT-2 ORBITAL SPACE LAUNCH LOG DATE VEHICLE ID PAYLOAD MASS(t) SITE* ORBIT* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10/27/18 ZQ-1 ZQ1-01 Weilai 1 JQ [FTO][1] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] Flight control lost about 13 seconds into third stage burn. Site Code: JQ = Jiuquan, China Orbit Code: EEO/M = Molynia (12-hr) Elliptical Earth Orbit FTO = Failed to Orbit FSO = Failed Suborbital GTO = Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit GTO+ = Supersynchronous or High Perigee Transfer Orbit GTO- = Subsynchronous Transfer Orbit GTOi = Inclined GTO GEO = Geosynchronous Orbit HCO = Heliocentric (solar) Orbit HTO = High Earth Transfer Orbit LEO = Low Earth Orbit LEO/S = Sun Synchronous Low Earth Orbit LEO/P = Polar Low Earth Orbit MEO = Medium Earth Orbit MTO = Medium Earth Transfer Orbit SUB = Suborbital
