China’s Landspace successfully launched its reusable Zhuque-3 rocket for the first time late Tuesday, sending the vehicle into orbit, but falling short on its first stage landing attempt.
Zhuque-3 is the company’s next-generation, liquid oxygen–methane rocket built for low-cost, high-capacity, high-frequency, reusable operations.
The Y1 variant features a two-stage, single-core structure with a 4.5-meter diameter for both stages, a 5.2-meter fairing, and a total height of 66.1 meters.
This mission also tested the rocket’s first-stage vertical recovery technology. Flight telemetry indicates that an anomaly occurred after the booster reignited during the landing phase, preventing a soft touchdown on the recovery pad.
The stage ultimately came down on the edge of the landing zone, resulting in a failed recovery test. Landspace says the root cause is still under investigation.
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