TQ-12

The TQ-12 (Chinese: 天鹊-12; pinyin: Tiānquè-12, lit. Sky Lark 12) is a gas-generator cycle rocket engine burning liquid methane and liquid oxygen (methalox) developed by LandSpace.^[4] TQ-12 is the first Chinese liquid rocket engine developed with private funding.^[5] The engine has been designed to produce 670 kilonewtons (150,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.^[6]

A TQ-12 engine during a hot firing test on 14 May 2020

TQ-12

Country of origin	China
Manufacturer	LandSpace
Status	Active
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	LOX / CH4
Mixture ratio	2.92
Cycle	Gas-generator cycle
Configuration
Nozzle ratio	45
Performance
Thrust, vacuum	745 kilonewtons (167,000 lbf) for sea level nozzle 785 kilonewtons (176,000 lbf) for vacuum nozzle
Thrust, sea-level	658 kilonewtons (148,000 lbf)
Chamber pressure	10.1 MPa (1,460 psi)
Specific impulse, vacuum	337 s
Specific impulse, sea-level	284.5 s
Dimensions
Measurement	3.9 m
Diameter	1.5 m
Used in
ZQ-2
References
Notes	[1][2][3]

History

The engine passed its first powerpack test including the turbopump, valves, ignition components, and the gas generator at a LandSpace facility in Huzhou on March 25, 2019.^[7]

The engine's first full assembly was delivered in May 2019, and a hot fire test was successfully conducted the same month.^[8][9] The engine passed its first 200 second duration variable thrust test on October 26, 2019.^[3] A series of 400s hot fire tests were conducted in January 2021 and the first-stage engine assembly for LandSpace's Zhuque-2 rocket was completed in February 2021. The launch vehicle^[which?] first stage consists of four TQ-12 engines providing a takeoff thrust of 268 tons.^[10] 37 TQ-12 family engines had been built by LandSpace as of July 2022, with cumulative hot fire test duration of more than 20,000 seconds. A record-breaking 3357 seconds of hot fire time were accumulated by one engine over 11 firings.^[11]

In August 2022, LandSpace successfully tested an improved TQ-12A. Compared with the original TQ-12, the engine thrust is increased by 9%, the specific impulse is increased by 40 m/s, and the weight is reduced by 100kg.^[11]

On December 14, 2022, Zhuque-2 completed its maiden flight. Four TQ-12 engines powered the first stage, which performed normally during the flight. However, the TQ-11 vernier engines used in the second stage failed, and the rocket was lost.^[12]

In July 2023, the 2nd launch of Zhuque-2 was successful and the payload reached orbit.^{[citation needed]}