China pushing for reusability milestone with Zhuque-3 launch and near-landing

Date:
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:20:50 +0000

Description:
Chinese commercial launch provider LandSpace achieved a major milestone with the successful maiden flight of The post China pushing for reusability milestone with Zhuque-3 launch and near-landing appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Chinese commercial launch provider LandSpace achieved a major milestone with the successful maiden flight of its Zhuque-3 reusable methalox rocket, a vehicle roughly comparable in size to SpaceXs Falcon 9.

While the mission reached orbit and was declared a success by the company,
the first-stage booster came tantalisingly close to a propulsive landing before impacting just meters from the designated ground-based landing zone.



The stainless-steel Zhuque-3 stands 66 meters tall with a 4.5-meter diameter core slightly shorter but wider than Falcon 9.

Powered by nine Tianque-12A methalox engines producing a combined 5,922 kN of sea-level thrust, the rocket lifted off from Site 96 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on a south-easterly trajectory. Ascent appeared nominal, and main engine cut-off occurred at T+129 seconds, followed by clean stage separation. The booster then executed a boost-back maneuver and a prolonged three-engine re-entry burn starting at T+6:11 that lasted approximately 46 seconds notably longer than typical Falcon 9 re-entry burns, suggesting a conservative approach for the debut flight. At T+8:00 the same three engines relit for the final landing burn.

Telemetry showed the booster on a near-perfect trajectory toward a newly constructed landing pad 390 km downrange on the Chinese mainland a site chosen to avoid the ocean recovery complications faced by inland launch
sites.

Moments before touchdown, however, an anomaly occurred and the vehicle impacted in a fireball only meters from the pads centre bullseye.

Despite the hard landing, it hailed the attempt as remarkably close for a first flight, with aerial imagery circulating on Chinese social media showing scorch marks just outside the marked landing circle.

Meanwhile, the second stage, powered by a single vacuum-optimised Tianque-15A engine, continued to orbit. Engine cut-off occurred at T+8:29, after which LandSpace declared full mission success. Pre-flight speculation that the mission might carry a prototype Haolong reusable cargo spaceplane appears unfounded based on the timeline.

Rapidly Crowded Field of Chinese Reusable Rockets:

Zhuque-3 is only the opening act in what is shaping up to be an intense wave of Chinese reusable launch vehicle debuts.

Long March 12A (CASC) A state-developed methalox rocket nearly identical in size to Zhuque-3 (69 m tall, 3.8 m diameter). Currently targeting a December 2025 first flight that will also attempt first-stage recovery on its maiden launch. Tianlong-3 (Space Pioneer) A kerolox Falcon 9 near-clone (71 m tall, 3.8 m diameter, nine first-stage engines). An accidental full-duration static fire in June 2024 saw the rocket lift off unintentionally from the test
stand. An intentional orbital flight is expected sometime in 2026, though the first mission will be expendable.

Lijian-2 (CAS Space) A unique kerolox design using three strapped-together booster cores that separate from the upper stage as a single unit and are intended to land together on legs. A heavy-lift Lijian-2H variant with five cores is also in development. Booster recovery is not planned until 2028 or later.

Why Reusability Matters for China:

In 2024, China conducted 68 orbital launches yet every single first stage
was expended, often falling on inland villages when using toxic hypergolic propellants. By contrast, the United States flew more than twice as many missions while manufacturing only about half as many new first stages, thanks almost entirely to SpaceXs reusable Falcon 9 fleet.

The sudden surge in Chinese reusable methalox and kerolox vehicles signals a strategic pivot. Multiple private and state-backed companies are now racing
to field rapidly reusable medium-lift rockets, a capability that could dramatically increase launch cadence and slash costs.

With LandSpace having come within meters of success on its very first try,
and at least two more Falcon-class reusable rockets scheduled to fly in the coming months, 2026 is poised to be a defining year for commercial
spaceflight not just in the United States, but across the Pacific as well.

The new space race is no longer just about reaching orbit; its about who can get there cheapest and most often. China has clearly taken notice.



The post China pushing for reusability milestone with Zhuque-3 launch and near-landing appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/12/china-reusability-zhuque-3-launch-land ing/


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