What Are the Advantages of New Rocket Propellant Liquid Oxygen Methane for Private Space Sector?
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- The Vulcan Centaur rocket carrying the 'Hawk' lunar probe launched from Florida, aiming to land on the moon by February 23, but encountered an engine failure.
- The Vulcan Centaur is ULA's new flagship rocket, featuring Blue Origin's BE-4 engines using liquid oxygen and methane, competing with SpaceX's advancements in the field.
- China's commercial space companies like Blue Arrow Aerospace and Landspace are also focusing on liquid oxygen-methane rockets, with successful launches and plans for reusable rockets.
文｜财新周刊 黄晏浩
By Caixin Weekly's Huang Yanhao
当地时间2024年1月8日凌晨，美国佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角，一枚62米高的火箭喷出滚滚火焰，在夜空中划出闪亮光芒。50分钟后，火箭释放“游隼”月球探测器，计划在2月23日落月——如果成功，将成为美国自1972年以来第一枚登陆月球的探测器。不过“游隼”很快遭遇发动机故障，已无法完成登月目标。
In the early hours of January 8, 2024, local time, a 62-meter-tall rocket blazed with rolling flames at Cape Canaveral in Florida, tracing a bright light across the night sky. Fifty minutes later, the rocket deployed the "Falcon" lunar probe, which was scheduled to land on the moon on February 23—if successful, it would have been the first U.S. probe to land on the moon since 1972. However, "Falcon" soon encountered an engine failure and is now unable to complete its lunar landing mission.
此次搭载“游隼”探测器的火神-半人马座火箭（Vulcan Centaur），备受业内关注，它将成为联合发射联盟（ULA）的新一代主力火箭。近年来，作为老牌火箭企业，ULA成本高企，革新缓慢，面对太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）日显颓势，火神-半人马座火箭因此被寄予厚望。ULA官网称此次发射“标志着ULA激动人心的新时代的开始”，ULA总裁托里·布鲁诺则说：“我太激动了，我无法告诉你我有多兴奋。”
The Vulcan Centaur rocket, which carries the "Peregrine" lander, has garnered significant attention within the industry as it is set to become the new flagship rocket for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In recent years, ULA, an established rocket company, has struggled with high costs and slow innovation. As a result, it has been increasingly overshadowed by SpaceX. The Vulcan Centaur launch is therefore met with great expectations. ULA's official website states that this launch "marks the beginning of an exciting new era for ULA," and ULA President Tory Bruno expressed his enthusiasm by saying, "I am so excited; I can't even tell you how thrilled I am."
新一代火神-半人马座火箭主要新在发动机。该火箭为两级重型运载火箭，所有硬件里只有主发动机是首次亮相，其来头不小：火箭的一级使用了两台蓝色起源（Blue Origin）公司研发的BE-4发动机，燃料为液氧甲烷，海平面推力能达到240吨，还略超过SpaceX现役的“猛禽”发动机。
The new-generation Fire God - the Centaur rocket's primary innovation lies in its engines. This two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle features hardware that, with the exception of the main engine, has been previously used. The main engine, however, boasts an impressive pedigree: the rocket's first stage is powered by two BE-4 engines developed by Blue Origin. These engines use liquid oxygen and methane as fuel and can deliver a sea-level thrust of 240 tons, slightly surpassing the thrust of SpaceX's currently active "Raptor" engine.
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