Chinese company makes historic rocket debut (VIDEO)

LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 is China’s first reusable methane-powered rocket to reach orbit

A private Chinese aerospace firm has launched the country’s first reusable methane-fueled rocket into orbit. The Zhuque-3, developed by Beijing-based LandSpace, lifted off from a commercial test zone in northwest China and completed major flight milestones, the company announced on Wednesday.

Footage released by LandSpace showed the 66-meter-tall booster rising from a site near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Built with a 4.5-meter core and a liftoff mass of about 560 tons, the rocket is designed for low-cost, high-frequency missions and is intended to fly at least 20 times. When fully operational, it will be capable of carrying at least 18 tons to low Earth orbit while still returning its first stage for reuse.

Zhuque-3 is powered by nine methane engines in its first stage and a single vacuum engine in its second stage. Unlike traditional kerosene-fueled boosters, methane engines burn cleaner and can handle deep-throttle maneuvers needed for precision landings. Only a handful of rockets worldwide, including SpaceX’s Starship, use methane, and China had never put a reusable methane-powered vehicle into orbit before this mission.

LandSpace designed the vehicle for rapid manufacturing and frequent launches, using stainless-steel tank structures and other weight-saving features to reduce costs and production time.

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During the flight, engineers validated several technologies that China’s commercial launch industry had not previously demonstrated in orbit. These included coordinated control of a nine-engine cluster, deep-throttle operation, multiple engine restarts in space, and advanced fuel-management techniques during weightless coasting. The mission also tested high-precision navigation and guidance systems intended to steer reusable boosters through the difficult return phase from orbit.

Although the rocket reached orbit successfully, the attempt to land the first stage did not succeed. The booster experienced an anomaly during its descent burn and failed to touch down softly on the recovery pad. Debris came down at the edge of the landing zone, and LandSpace said the cause is under investigation.