Zhiyu Aerospace Technology, also known as Z-Trak Space, announced a collaboration to develop a cold-launch system using supercritical carbon dioxide for small rockets.
The Hunan-based company, founded last year in Zhuzhou, partnered with Chiyang Space Power Technology Company. The announcement came on Monday, with a statement issued on Tuesday.
The technology uses supercritical carbon dioxide to generate high-pressure gas that ejects the rocket into the air. Engines then ignite at a designated altitude, avoiding contact between exhaust and the ground platform.
Z-Trak Space said the method could achieve low-cost, high-frequency, fast-response commercial launches and fundamentally change the model for small liquid-fuel vehicles.
