I-Space (Chinese company)#Hyperbola-1

The company was founded in 2016.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

By 2019, i-Space had successfully launched the Hyperbola-1S and Hyperbola-1Z single-stage solid-propellant test rockets into space on suborbital test flights,{{cite news |url=http://spacenews.com/chinese-commercial-launch-sector-nears-takeoff-with-suborbital-rocket-test/|title=Chinese commercial launch sector nears takeoff with suborbital rocket test|publisher=SpaceNews |first=Andrew|last=Jones|date=15 May 2018|access-date=30 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.spacetechasia.com/chinese-government-launch-site-conducts-first-2-commercial-launches/ |title=Chinese government launch site conducts first 2 commercial launches|publisher=Spacetech Asia|last=Goh|first=Deyana|date=7 September 2018|access-date=7 September 2018}} and then reached low Earth orbit with Hyperbola-1 on its maiden flight on 25 July 2019, becoming the first private company from China to have achieved orbit.

The company raised {{USD|173 million}} in private capital in a series B round during 2020.

The Hyperbola-1S (also called SQX-1S),{{cite web|last=Nowakowski|first=Tomasz|url=https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/commercial/chinese-startup-launches-three-cubesats-into-space/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907000146/http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/commercial/chinese-startup-launches-three-cubesats-into-space/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 September 2018|title=Chinese startup launches three CubeSats into space|publisher=SpaceFlight Insider|date=6 September 2018|access-date=20 July 2019}} and the Hyperbola-1Z (also called SQX-1Z),{{cite web|last=Sheldon|first=John|url=https://spacewatch.global/2018/09/chinas-ispace-successfully-launches-sqx-1z-sub-orbital-rocket-with-cubesats/|title=China's iSpace Successfully Launches SQX-1Z Sub-Orbital Rocket With CubeSats|publisher=SpaceWatch.Global|date=6 September 2018|access-date=20 July 2019|url-access=limited}} are single stage, solid-propellant suborbital test rockets. The Hyperbola-1S rocket was {{cvt|8.4|m}} long, with a diameter of {{cvt|1|m}} and weighed {{cvt|4.6|tonne}}. The Hyperbola-1Z rocket has a diameter of about {{cvt|1.4|m}}, maximum design speed of {{cvt|1.6|km/s}} and can reach altitude of {{cvt|175|km}} on a suborbital trajectory.

The first sub-orbital test flight of Hyperbola-1S took place from Hainan island on 5 April 2018 to an altitude of {{cvt|108|km}}.{{cite web|last=Palec|first=Phenny Lynn |url=https://en.businesstimes.cn/articles/111730/20190507/china-s-ispace-attempts-private-orbital-launch-june.htm|title=China's i-Space Attempts Private Orbital Launch In June|publisher=Business Times|date=7 May 2019|access-date=20 July 2019|url-access=limited|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701033734/https://en.businesstimes.cn/articles/111730/20190507/china-s-ispace-attempts-private-orbital-launch-june.htm|archive-date=1 July 2019|url-status=dead}}

The second flight of i-Space was a commercial sub-orbital flight launched on 5 September 2018 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, using the Hyperbola-1Z rocket. The sub-orbital flight reached an altitude of {{cvt|108|km}} and a peak velocity of over {{cvt|1200|m/s}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.spaceflightfans.cn/29636.html|title="双曲线一号S火箭"首飞成功！星际荣耀近期型谱计划出炉！(The Hyperbola 1-S Rocket Made Its First Flight Successfully! Interstellar Glory releases its future plans)|website=spaceflightfans.cn|language=zh-CN|access-date=2018-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408105426/http://www.spaceflightfans.cn/29636.html|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=dead}} It carried payloads from private Chinese satellite companies ZeroG Labs and ADA-space. The rocket delivered three CubeSat satellites one of which subsequently parachuted back to Earth.{{cite web |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201809/05/WS5b8f65a0a31033b4f46545c0.html|title=Chinese private company launches satellites|last=Lei|first=Zhao|date=2018-09-05|website=China Daily|access-date=2018-09-07}}

{{Main|Hyperbola-1}}

The Hyperbola-1 (aka Shuang Quxian-1, SQX-1) (Chinese: 双曲线一号) rocket is {{cvt|20.8|m}} tall, {{cvt|1.4|m}} in diameter and weighs {{cvt|31|tonne}}. It consists of four all solid fuel stages, guided by liquid fuel attitude control engines.{{cite web|title=Products & Services|url=http://www.i-space.com.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=4|website=i-space.com.cn|access-date=28 July 2020}} It can launch {{cvt|300|kg}} into low Earth orbit (LEO). The rocket might be based on Chinese military missiles (perhaps DF-11 or DF-15).{{cite news|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/07/25/chinese-private-company-reaches-orbit-for-first-time/|title=Chinese private company reaches orbit for first time|last=Clark|first=Stephen|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=25 July 2019|access-date=23 June 2020}} The first stage of the rocket is equipped with four grid fins. The launch price is reported around US$5 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/19431/Chinese-Private-Sector-Company-Launches-a-History-Making-Rocket.aspx|title = Chinese Private-Sector Company Launches a History-Making Rocket by MatthewGreenwood}}

Its successful maiden flight was on 25 July 2019, at 05:00 UTC from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.{{cite news|url=https://qz.com/1674426/ispace-to-attempt-chinas-third-private-rocket-launch/|title=A private Chinese space firm successfully launched a rocket into orbit|date=25 July 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/shian-quxian-1.htm|title=Shian Quxian-1 (SQX-1, Hyperbola-1)|access-date=25 July 2019}} It launched from a movable supporting platform. It placed numerous payloads,{{Cite web|url=https://www.seradata.com/chinese-commercial-launch-firm-ispace-launches-cubesats-on-its-hyperbola-1-rocket/|title = Chinese commercial launch firm iSpace launches cubesats on its Hyperbola-1 rocket|date = 25 July 2019}} among them the CAS-7B amateur radio satellite,{{cite web |url=https://amsat-uk.org/2019/07/08/cas-7b-launch/|title=CAS-7B to launch July 25|publisher=AMSAT-UK|date=8 July 2019|access-date=19 July 2019}} into orbit {{cvt|300|km}} above Earth. CAS-7B decayed from orbit 6 August 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=44443|title=CAS 7B|publisher=N2YO.com|access-date=12 August 2019}} It was the first Chinese private company to achieve orbit (orbital launches of other private companies before had failed).

A second launch occurred on 1 February 2021, at 08:15 UTC (16:15 Beijing Time) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with 6 unidentified satellites but failed to reach orbit.{{cite web |title=Chinese Hyperbola-1 rocket fails during its second launch|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/02/chinese-hyperbola-1-rocket-fails-second-launch/|website=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=2021-02-01|access-date=2021-07-11}} A subsequent investigation revealed that a piece of insulation had broken off and got stuck in the turning mechanism of grid fin Number IV. When the piece was blown away, the control system then suddenly overcompensated, resulting in the rocket being ripped apart by excessive aerodynamic forces.{{cite web |url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7z5QYNl5uADwxO_RRZizyw |script-title=zh:双曲线一号遥二运载火箭飞行故障完成归零 |trans-title=The flight failure of the Hyperbola-1 Yao-2 launch vehicle has been traced to its roots}}{{cite web |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/05/hyperbola-1-failure-may-2022/ |title=Hyperbola-1, China's first privately-owned rocket, fails in 2nd consecutive return to flight mission |date=13 May 2022}} The rocket was named "Tianshu" because its outer fuselage was covered with the artistic creations (images of compound made-up Chinese characters) of the contemporary artist Xu Bing.

iSpace launched a third Hyperbola-1 solid-rocket vehicle on 3 August 2021.[https://spacenews.com/mystery-surrounds-chinese-private-rocket-launch-attempt/ Mystery surrounds Chinese private rocket launch attempt], Andrew Jones, SpaceNews, 3 August 2021. SpaceNews was reporting the same day that the outcome of the launch was unknown, but that amateur video of the launch had been posted, but then deleted from Chinese social media. After most of the day had passed, the Chinese official media Xinhua reported that the launch was unsuccessful due to off-nominal performance of the rocket which resulted in a failure to achieve orbit.{{cite news |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/03/c_1310105568.htm |title=Flight test of China's commercial carrier rocket fails |last=Huaxia |work=Xinhua |date=3 August 2021 |access-date=3 August 2021}} An official statement released by the company itself the following day clarified that the failure was caused by a malfunctioning in the fairing separation process, that precluded the payload from reaching the target orbit.{{cite web |url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NGkDVjdGexqfCjeJz5rCDw |title=关于双曲线一号遥五运载火箭飞行试验任务情况的说明 |trans-title=Explanation on the flight test mission of the Hyperbola-1 Y5 carrier rocket |date=4 August 2021 |access-date=4 August 2021 |work=i-Space |language=zh}} A fourth launch attempt on 13 May 2022, was unsuccessful as well.

In April 2023, i-Space performed a fifth launch of the Hyperbola-1 which successfully reached orbit without a payload (or possibly a dummy payload), and then followed with another launch on 17 December 2023 that placed the DEAR-1 satellite from Chinese company Azspace into a 500 kilometre SSO orbit.

The Hyperbola-2 (Chinese: 双曲线二号) is a two-stage, liquid-fueled, reusable rocket designed to lift 1.9 tons into LEO. It features the JD-1 engine which employs methane as fuel and liquid oxygen as the oxidizer. The first stage is expected to land propulsively in order to be reused. The rocket's JD-1 engine had its first hot fire test in May 2020.{{cite news|url=https://spacenews.com/chinese-private-launch-firms-advance-with-methane-engines-launch-preparations-and-new-funding/|title=Chinese private launch firms advance with methane engines, launch preparations and new funding|last=Jones|first=Andrew|publisher=SpaceNews|date=5 June 2020|access-date=23 June 2020}} As of July 2022, the first launch was expected to occur in 2023 following a series of first stage hop tests.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Andrew |url=https://spacenews.com/new-launch-vehicles-set-for-test-flights-from-chinas-jiuquan-spaceport/ |title=New launch vehicles set for test flights from China's Jiuquan spaceport |work=SpaceNews |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=8 July 2022}} In July 2023 i-Space announced that it has decided to suspend further development of the Hyperbola-2 launcher and instead directly proceed with the development of the reusable medium-lift Hyperbola-3 rocket.{{cite web |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-ispace-launches-and-lands-rocket-test-stage/ |last=Jones |first=Andrew |title=China's iSpace launches and lands rocket test stage |date= 2 November 2023 |publisher=spacenews.com |access-date= 2 November 2023}}

The Hyperbola-3 is a 69 metres tall two-stage, liquid-fueled, partially reusable rocket; it is designed to lift at least 8.5 tons into LEO in reusable mode and 13.4 tons in expendable mode. The rocket's engines will use methane as fuel and liquid oxygen as the oxidizer. The first stage of the rocket is expected to land vertically using landing legs. The rocket will use the Focus-1 restartable methalox engine which was flight-verified during a hop test by the Hyperbola-2Y test stage on 2 November 2023, during which the test vehicle reached a maximum height of 178.42 m. (A second successful test of the Hyperbola-2Y test vehicle took place on 10 December 2023 with the stage reaching a height of about 343 metres and translating a horizontal distance of about 50 metres.{{cite tweet |author=China 'N Asia Spaceflight |user=CNSpaceflight |number=1733826205982531895 |title=SQX-2Y reached 343.12m in this 63.15s hop test and landed on the target ~50m away from the liftoff position. |date=10 December 2023}}) i-Space is targeting a first flight of the expendable Hyperbola-3 for 2025, while an attempt at first-stage vertical landing and recovery is slated for 2026; a heavy-lift 3-core variant named the Hyperbola-3B is also planned by the company.

In May 2018, i-Space indicated they hoped to eventually develop a reusable sub-orbital spaceplane (Chinese: 亚轨道概念飞行器) for space tourism.{{cite web |url=http://en.i-space.com.cn/show-51-26-1.html#wzdw|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801190543/http://en.i-space.com.cn/show-51-26-1.html#wzdw|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 August 2020|title=PRODUCT|website=en.i-space.com.cn|access-date=2018-05-30}}

i-Space is in competition with several other Chinese space rocket startups, being LandSpace, Galactic Energy, ExPace, LinkSpace, OneSpace and Deep Blue Aerospace.{{cite news|url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2017/12/20/expace-raises-182-million-small-satellite-launchers/|title=EXPACE Raises US$182 Million for Small Satellite Launchers|date=20 December 2017|author=Doug Messier|publisher=Parabolic Arc|access-date=4 August 2022|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204225826/http://www.parabolicarc.com/2017/12/20/expace-raises-182-million-small-satellite-launchers/|url-status=dead}}

{{Portal|Spaceflight|Companies|China}}

• {{annotated link|OneSpace}}, a Chinese company competitor
• {{annotated link|Space Pioneer}}, a Chinese competitor privately developing liquid rocket engine technology and launch vehicles
• {{annotated link|Deep Blue Aerospace}}
• {{annotated link|LinkSpace}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Chinese space facilities and organizations}}

{{Chinese launch systems}}

{{Expendable launch systems}}

{{Reusable launch systems}}

Category:Private spaceflight companies

Category:Aerospace companies of China

Category:Commercial launch service providers

Category:Companies based in Beijing

Category:Chinese companies established in 2016