3.12.2025

China launched a reusable carrier rocket on Wednesday from northwest China. The second stage of this rocket managed to enter the designated orbit, but recovery of its first stage failed.

The Zhuque-3 rocket blasted off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone.

Its first-stage booster suffered anomalous combustion during recovery, failing to achieve a soft touchdown on the landing pad. The recovery test was unsuccessful, and the specific cause is under investigation.

Zhuque-3 is a liquid oxygen-methane-powered rocket engineered for low cost, high capacity and frequent launches, according to LandSpace, its designer.

This mission validated Zhuque-3's end-to-end design and system compatibility, captured critical in-flight data, and laid a foundation for operational launches and stage recovery in the future, the Beijing-based rocket manufacturer said.

Quelle: Xinhua