China’s LandSpace Successfully Tests TQ-12 Engine

LandSpace testing its TQ-12 engine. Photo: LandSpace

Chinese private rocket company LandSpace successfully tested an 80-ton thrust liquid oxygen-methane engine, according to its developer Friday. The engine, named TQ-12, was independently developed by LandSpace and has the third-highest thrust level among liquid oxygen-methane engines globally — and is in the same vein SpaceX’s Raptor engine and Blue Origin‘s BE-4 engine.

The TQ-12 engine carried out four firing test runs this week, with the longest run-time being about 20 seconds.

According to the release, the engine is environmentally friendly, low-cost, easy to operate, and reusable. The engine, which can be used in small rockets as well as medium-sized and heavy rockets, has high commercial value, the company said.