The TQ-11 (, lit. ''Sky Lark 11'') is a

gas-generator cycle The gas-generator cycle, also referred to as the GG cycle or colloquially as an open cycle, is one of the most commonly used power cycles in bipropellant liquid rocket engines. Propellant is burned in a gas generator (analogous to, but distinct ...

rocket engine A rocket engine is a reaction engine, producing thrust in accordance with Newton's third law by ejecting reaction mass rearward, usually a high-speed Jet (fluid), jet of high-temperature gas produced by the combustion of rocket propellants stor ...

burning liquid methane and liquid oxygen developed by

LandSpace LandSpace Technology Corporation (doing business as LandSpace) is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Beijing. It was founded in 2015 by Zhang Changwu. In July 2023, the company's Zhuque-2 rocket became the world's first methan ...

. It is used as the second stage vernier engine for LandSpace's ZQ-2 rocket. The engine produces of thrust in a vacuum.

History

LandSpace completed the first engine hot firing test for TQ-11 on November 3, 2019, and the engine passed a 1500 second test in 2020. On December 14, 2022,

Zhuque-2 Zhuque-2 (, ''ZQ-2'') is a Chinese medium-class orbital launch vehicle developed by LandSpace. It is a liquid-fuelled rocket powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox) and was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit. Des ...

completed its maiden flight. The TQ-11 engines used in the rocket's second stage failed, resulting in mission failure. LandSpace planned to upgrade the second stage with one TQ-15A engine, eliminating the need for a vernier engine. The failure of TQ-11 could force LandSpace to update the second stage quicker than anticipated. In July 2023, LandSpace successfully launched its second ZQ-2 rocket, continuing to utilize TQ-11 engines for the second stage. Future flights are planned to employ the TQ-15A engines.

References

Rocket engines of China Rocket engines using methane propellant Rocket engines using the gas-generator cycle {{Rocket-stub