China’s ZhuQue-2 Y-2 became the world’s first methane-fuelled rocket to successfully reach orbit.
The methane-powered rocket, known as Metalox, followed the anticipated trajectory and completed its flight as planned.
Methane engines provide improved performance while significantly reducing operating costs, contributing to the advancement of reusable rocket technology.
Metalox rockets use methane as the fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer, with specific design considerations compared to conventional rockets.