China’s Bold Leap into Reusable Rocketry: Zhuque-3 Soars but Stumbles on Landing
In a dramatic display of ambition and innovation, China’s Landspace launched its Zhuque-3 rocket late Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s pursuit of reusable spaceflight technology. The mission, which successfully reached orbit, was a testament to China’s growing capabilities in the space sector. But here’s where it gets controversial: while the rocket’s ascent was flawless, its first stage met a fiery end during a landing attempt, raising questions about the challenges of mastering reusable rocketry.
The Zhuque-3 lifted off at approximately 11:02 p.m. Eastern Time on December 2 (0402 UTC, December 3) from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Against the backdrop of the Gobi Desert’s vast expanse, the rocket ascended gracefully into the night sky, a sight that captivated onlookers and space enthusiasts alike. However, the real test came during the landing phase, as the first stage attempted a controlled descent to a pad located 390 kilometers downrange in Minqin county, Gansu province.
Footage shared on Chinese social media platforms revealed a dramatic turn of events: an anomalous combustion occurred shortly after the landing burn initiated, causing the booster to catch fire and crash into the pad. Landspace later confirmed in a statement that the debris landed on the edge of the recovery pad, resulting in a failed recovery attempt. The company assured that the specific cause of the mishap is under investigation, leaving experts and observers eagerly awaiting further details.
Despite the landing setback, the mission was not without its triumphs. Images from mission control showed that the second stage, powered by a single Tianque 15A vacuum engine, successfully continued its journey and achieved orbit. Notably, there was no indication of any payload aboard the rocket, suggesting that this flight was primarily a test of the rocket’s capabilities rather than a commercial mission.
This mission represents a pivotal moment for Chinese spaceflight, as it marks the country’s first attempt to recover a stage from an orbital launch. And this is the part most people miss: mastering reusable rocketry is crucial for reducing launch costs and enabling a rapid commercial launch cadence, a capability that could position China as a major player in the global space economy. If successful, this technology could pave the way for Landspace to launch batches of satellites for China’s ambitious megaconstellation projects, while also providing invaluable data for future recovery attempts.
The Zhuque-3 is a two-stage, stainless steel rocket with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a liftoff mass of approximately 570 metric tons. Standing at an impressive 66 meters tall, its first stage is powered by nine Tianque-12A methane-liquid oxygen engines. When fully operational, the Zhuque-3 is designed to deliver a payload capacity of 21,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO) in expendable mode, or up to 18,300 kilograms when the first stage is recovered. This places it in the same league as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in terms of payload capacity, though the Zhuque-3 is China’s first large stainless-steel methalox rocket, drawing implicit parallels to SpaceX’s Starship manufacturing approach.
Landspace highlights the rocket’s ability to deploy multiple satellites for internet constellations in a single launch, offering robust support for major national aerospace projects and satellite internet deployment. The company expressed gratitude to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Jiuquan spaceport, the Communist Party of China, and various local and provincial governments for their support.
The Zhuque-3 test flight was China’s 77th orbital launch attempt of 2025, underscoring the nation’s rapid advancements in space technology. Meanwhile, China’s main space contractor is preparing the new reusable Long March 12A at Jiuquan, with its first orbital launch and landing attempt potentially scheduled for later this month. As these developments unfold, one can’t help but wonder: Will China’s reusable rocketry efforts reshape the global space industry? And how will this impact the ongoing space race? We invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below—do you think China’s ambitious goals are achievable, or are there hurdles that remain too daunting to overcome?
