Beijing-based commercial rocket developer Galactic Energy on the Chinese mainland recently completed a comprehensive system test of its CQ-90 engine for the large reusable PALLAS-2 rocket, Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday.
During the trial, the engine started smoothly, maintained stable operation with bright flame visibility, and shut down normally. Data showed all performance parameters met design specifications, achieving combustion efficiency of over 96 percent.
The CQ-90 liquid oxygen-kerosene engine is an upgraded version of Galactic Energy’s CQ-50 model. It features bidirectional gimbaling up to six degrees, multiple ignition capability, and wide-range variable thrust.
With a diameter of 4.5 meters, PALLAS-2 comes in two configurations. The baseline version has a liftoff mass of about 757 tonnes, thrust of approximately 910 tonnes, and a Low Earth Orbit payload capacity of 20 tonnes. The strap-on booster version boosts liftoff mass to around 1,950 tonnes, thrust to about 2,730 tonnes, and payload capacity to 58 tonnes.
This milestone brings Galactic Energy closer to the next phase of integration and flight validation for PALLAS-2, positioning the company as a rising player in the competitive commercial launch market.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
