Latest news with #Zhuque-2
Ammon
21-05-2025
- Science
- Ammon
Mystery as bright beam of light streaks through the skies over the US
Ammon News - Stargazers across the US have been baffled by a mysterious beam of light streaking through the sky. Around midnight on Saturday, May 17, a glowing streak was visible above the US as far south as New Mexico. With the aurora active after a surprise geomagnetic storm, many people initially thought the streak was STEVE - a white-mauve light emitted by rivers of charged particles. However, astronomers have now revealed the true explanation for this bizarre phenomenon. According to Dr Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer who tracks objects in space, the light was caused by a rocket dumping fuel. Just an hour or so before the light became visible, Chinese startup LandSpace Technology launched a methane and oxygen-fuelled Zhuque-2E Y2 rocket. Dr McDowell says the most likely source of the light was this rocket's second stage, releasing its 'Methalox' rocket fuel at about 155 miles (250km) above the ground. Once released into space, the chemicals in the fuel react with plasma in the Earth's ionosphere to create an eerie whitish glow, just like the one seen above the US. As the glowing streak appeared in the sky, many astronomers' first thought was that they were witnessing a rare space weather phenomenon called STEVE. Over the night of May 17, the Earth was experiencing a moderate (G2 class) geomagnetic storm after being hit by material from a solar eruption. The enormous 'bird wing' eruption had originally been predicted to miss Earth, but the wave of material was wider than expected, and the planet was hit with a glancing blow. Although STEVE is not part of the aurora, it is also caused by space weather and appears like a glowing river of whitish-mauve light in the sky. In a post on X, photographer Tyler Schlitt captured the event, writing: 'Just saw STEVE with my friends here in Southern Kansas is 45 minutes north of Greensburg!' However, it soon became apparent that this was no natural phenomenon. Writing on X, Dr McDowell said: 'TLEs confirm the Zhuque-2 upper stage passed over the US Four Corners area at 0525 UTC May 17 and is the source of the unusual luminous cloud seen by many observers.' The Zhuque-2 rocket was launched by LandSpace Technology from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area in northwest China at 04:21 UTC. Daily Mail
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Bright Streak Appears Over US During Aurora Storm, Mystifying Skywatchers
On the night of Saturday 17 May, skywatchers across the US as far south as New Mexico were treated to a peculiar sight: a brilliant stream of whitish light, stretching across the sky. That was a night for auroral activity, as Earth's magnetic field was buffeted by an influx of particles ejected from the Sun several days earlier. Initially, explanations favored STEVE, the name given to the white-mauve streaks of light emitted by rivers of charged particles flowing through Earth's ionosphere. STEVE is not an aurora, but, like the auroral displays it often appears alongside, is also a product of space weather. Spoiler though: the light was not actually STEVE, but a rocket stage dumping out methalox rocket fuel at an altitude of about 250 kilometers (155 miles), bang in the ionosphere, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks activity in Earth space. At 04:12 UTC, Beijing-based startup LandSpace Technology launched its new Zhuque-2E Y2 methane-fueled carrier rocket, bearing six satellites into Earth orbit. About an hour later, the bright stripe appeared in the sky – not far from midnight over much of the US. That stripe, according to McDowell, was the result of a fuel dump from the rocket's upper stage. Rocket fuel made from methane and liquid oxygen, known as methalox, is a relatively recent development; LandSpace was the first company to successfully launch a methalox rocket, back in 2023, and this is the fifth flight for its Zhuque-2 series, the company said in a statement. Methalox is attractive to the aerospace industry because it is cheaper, cleaner, and easier to store, and it may be able to be produced on Mars. That would make crewed missions to the red planet more efficient, since the spacecraft would not need to carry the fuel for the return journey from the outset. Rocket fuel can glow in the upper atmosphere through several mechanisms. One, seen close to twilight hours, is the illumination of ice particles by the light of the Sun. Closer to midnight, the Sun would be too far around the other side of Earth to be able to illuminate particles, even those high in the atmosphere. In the ionosphere, molecules involving carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen can generate chemical reactions that produce light. Carbon and hydrogen are the components of methane. "The reactions [of rocket fuel] with the plasma in the ionosphere include ion-molecule charge exchange, electron-ion recombination, and optical emissions from chemiluminescence," a team of physicists led by Paul Bernhardt of the US Naval Research Laboratory explained in a 2012 paper. "If the plume is fired into the ionosphere at night, chemiluminescent reactions with ion-molecule charge exchange followed by electron-ion dissociative recombination yield a long-lived glow that can be observed from ground or space." Anybody know what this light could be? byu/Ambitious_Amount_357 inAstronomy Usually, the glowing fuel of a rocket blasting into space manifests as a strange spiral in the sky. Rocket fuel masquerading as STEVE is a new experience, but it sure is pretty. Methalox is gaining traction, with more rocket companies investigating its use. Perhaps more such streaks will appear in the sky. If you see one, now you might know what you're looking at. TRAPPIST-1 Planets Could Be Swimming in Water, Study Shows Unknown Species of Bacteria Discovered in China's Space Station NASA Mission Captures Eerie New View of The Moon And Sun
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mysterious white streak spotted over US skies during surprise aurora storm. What was it? (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The night sky offered lucky skywatchers an unexpected double feature on May 17 — a surprise geomagnetic storm and a mysterious white plume slicing through the auroras. The moderate (G2 class) geomagnetic storm came as quite a surprise, kicking off early Friday (May 16) after Earth caught the glancing blow of a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME was launched during a colossal filament eruption on May 12 from the sun's northern hemisphere. Initially expected to miss Earth, the "bird-wing" ejecta was wider than predicted, with some of the material striking Earth 4 days after it left the sun. But the real head-turner came when a streak of bright white light lit up the sky over Colorado and other parts of the U.S. At first glance, you could be mistaken for thinking it was a strange version of STEVE — a rare atmospheric phenomenon that can accompany the northern lights. But skywatchers quickly realized it was something entirely different. "The aurora was rippling low on the northern horizon when suddenly a bright streak of light, reminiscent of a rocket re-entry, appeared high in the sky and flowed down to the horizon," photographer Mike Lewinski told Lewinski captured the entire event unfolding in the skies above Crestone, Colorado. The culprit? A recent rocket launch. Roughly an hour earlier, Chinese company Landscape had launched its Zhuque-2E methane-fueled rocket from Site 96 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), in China. It carried six satellites into orbit, including a radar spacecraft and space science payload. The streak was likely from a de-orbit or circularization burn, possibly related to satellite deployment, according to Astronomer Jonathan McDowell took to X to confirm that the white streak of light was the result of the Zhuque-2 upper stage passing over the U.S. Four Corners area. McDowell further explained that the white streak was caused by the fuel dump from the upper stage at about 155 miles (250 kilometers) altitude. Aurora photographer Derick Wilson also captured the bright white streak above Farmington, New Mexico. "The #aurora was visual but colorless... then the brightest sight I've ever seen in the night sky appeared overhead!" Wilson wrote in a post on X. Photographer Tyler Schlitt captured the white plume from southern Kansas, U.S. Schlitt, like many, had originally thought STEVE had appeared. But soon learned it was something entirely different. "Learning that it's a rocket launch yet again from China is wild! One year ago and a few day I saw the same thing and was unsure but that one seem more of a rocket dump this one fell extremely close," Schlitt wrote in an X post comment. It's not the first time a rocket launch has left skywatchers scratching their heads. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, for instance, have created dazzling spiral patterns that swirl across the sky — strange sights that often spark confusion and awe, especially for first-time viewers who might mistake them for something truly otherworldly.
Business Recorder
18-05-2025
- Science
- Business Recorder
China's LandSpace launches improved methane-powered rocket
BEIJING: A new methane-powered rocket developed by China's LandSpace Technology launched six satellites into orbit on Saturday, as the private startup doubles down on a cheap, cleaner fuel that it hopes will help it develop reusable rockets. The Zhuque-2E Y2 carrier rocket blasted off at 12:12 p.m. (0412 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, marking the fifth flight for the Zhuque-2 series, according to a company statement. Beijing-based LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket in July 2023, ahead of US rivals including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Interest has grown in recent years in launching carrier vehicles fuelled by methane, which is deemed less polluting, safer and cheaper than more commonly used hydrocarbon fuels, and a suitable propellant in a reusable rocket. LandSpace has increased the rocket's payload, reflecting increasing demand in China's expanding commercial space industry amid growing competition to form a constellation of satellites as an alternative to Musk's Starlink. Its first successful methane-powered launch did not carry any real satellites, but the second launch in December 2023 successfully sent into orbit three satellites. Saturday's launch put six satellites into orbit, mainly developed by Chinese firm Spacety, also known as Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute. Li Xiaoming, the institute's vice-president, said in a livestream hosted by LandSpace before the launch that the payload comprised a radar satellite, two multispectral satellites and three satellites for scientific experiments, weighing between 20 kg and 300 kg (44-660 pounds). The three research-focussed satellites will help with China's deep-space exploration ambitions, while the pair of multispectral satellites will be dedicated to environmental monitoring and identifying mineral deposits, respectively, Li said. The radar satellite is an all-weather Earth-observation satellite that produces images during the day and night, as well as see through clouds and rain, he added. The radar satellite 'can also pick up small, millimetre-level shifts in the surface, a capability that makes it extremely useful across urban development, transportation and energy infrastructure monitoring,' said Li. Spacety was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in January 2023 for allegedly supplying a Russian company with radar satellite imagery over Ukraine, which the US said was used to enable the Russian mercenary group Wagner's combat operations in Ukraine.
Deccan Herald
17-05-2025
- Business
- Deccan Herald
China's LandSpace launches improved methane-powered rocket
The Zhuque-2E Y2 carrier rocket blasted off at 12:12 p.m. (0412 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, marking the fifth flight for the Zhuque-2 series, according to a company statement.
