The Chinese Have Developed a Copy of SpaceX Rocket
Guys
A Chinese company already in the satellite launch business called “iSpace, Inc.” has recently flown a new rocket with many of the design details as a SpaceX Falcon-9 booster. It took off, hovered at low altitude and then landed smoothly on four legs right where it took off from. Impressive!
The name of this rocket is “Hyperbola-2.”
It appears to have a stainless steel hull.
Four movable grid fins are mounted near the top. They look so much like SpaceX fins that they could have been cast in the same mold.
It hovered and landed very smoothly on four landing legs just like SpaceX. But the legs are not retractable or as well integrated into the hull.
Their rocket engine was developed and built in house by iSpace, Inc. and burns liquid Methane and liquid Oxygen, as does SpaceX.
Impressive.
It appears to be very stable when throttled back.
iSpace is also developing a larger reusable booster with the stated mission goal of affordably launching another giant LEO telecommunication constellation.
Just like SpaceX.
The sky will indeed be full of satellites.
