China's Zhuque-3 Reusable Rocket Reaches Orbit on Maiden Flight But First-Stage Recovery Fails
- MM24 News Desk
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
China's first reusable rocket, Zhuque-3, successfully reached orbit on Wednesday but failed to recover its first stage after it appeared to catch fire and crashed near the planned recovery site at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. Designed by Beijing-based LandSpace, the 66-meter tall rocket powered by nine Tianque-12A engines experienced "an anomaly during the landing phase," with debris landing on the edge of the recovery pad. The 18-tonne payload capacity rocket made of stainless steel running on liquid methane and oxygen is designed for at least 20 uses, competing with SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Blue Origin's New Glenn.
China's first reusable rocket, the Zhuque-3, launched for the first time on Wednesday and successfully reached orbit, but efforts to recover the first stage failed after it crashed near the planned recovery site. The United States is still the only country in the world to successfully return an orbital-class booster, though China is still vying for the second spot with other upcoming launches.
The reusable rocket, designed by the Beijing-based commercial space company LandSpace, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China's northwest at noon on Wednesday. After reaching a low-Earth orbit, the first stage of the rocket—the lower section that lifts the vehicle off the ground—appeared to catch fire in the air before crashing near the target recovery site.
The first stage "experienced an anomaly" during the landing phase and "failed to achieve a soft landing on the recovery pad," LandSpace said in a post on social media.
"The debris landed on the edge of the recovery pad, resulting in a failed recovery test. The specific cause is under further investigation."
LandSpace said that other parts of the mission—including the lift-off, first and second stage separation, as well as second stage engine shutdown and restart—were all completed as planned. "Although this mission did not achieve the predetermined goal of recovering the first stage of the rocket, it verified the correctness and rationality of the entire process plan for testing, launching and flying the Zhuque-3 rocket," Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
Chinese commercial and state-owned space developers have been racing to launch the country's first reusable rocket, a technology that is dominated by the US.
Reusable rocket technology was pioneered by SpaceX, which achieved the world's first rocket landing after an orbital mission almost a decade ago with the Falcon 9. In November, Washington state-based Blue Origin's New Glenn became the second rocket to achieve this feat.
Reusable rocket technology would allow for lower-cost space launches with a more rapid turnaround, helping to ensure more efficient missions and the launch of massive space projects—including China's planned internet satellite constellations.
The Zhuque-3 is 66 meters tall (215 feet) and 4.5 meters wide with a first stage powered by nine Tianque-12A engines.
The first stage of the stainless steel rocket that runs on liquid methane and liquid oxygen was designed to be used at least 20 times. While in reusable mode, the Zhuque-3 can carry a payload of 18 tonnes—including satellites that each weigh a tonne—which can help build internet satellite constellations that will rival the Starlink constellation developed by SpaceX.
Both the state-owned Guowang megaconstellation and the Shanghai-backed Qianfan project are planning networks of up to 10,000 satellites. In October, SpaceX founder Elon Musk wrote on social media that the Zhuque-3 had surpassed the Falcon 9 on multiple key metrics, but added that the Starship—SpaceX's next reusable rocket under development—was "in another league."
The failed recovery attempt highlights the technical challenges inherent in rocket reusability. Successfully returning a first-stage booster requires precise control during atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds, executing engine burns to slow descent, and landing vertically on a small target—all while the rocket experiences extreme heat, vibration, and aerodynamic forces.
SpaceX needed multiple attempts before achieving consistent success with Falcon 9 landings, with several early attempts ending in spectacular explosions. The company's persistence eventually resulted in a reusability program that has dramatically reduced launch costs and enabled rapid launch cadences that competitors struggle to match.
The fire observed during Zhuque-3's descent could indicate various failure modes: propellant leaks igniting in the atmosphere, structural failure from reentry heating, engine malfunction during landing burns, or flight control system errors.
LandSpace's investigation will need to determine root causes before subsequent recovery attempts. Other Chinese reusable rockets are expected to make their maiden launches soon. Private company Space Pioneer's Tianlong-3 and the state-owned Long March 12A are also at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre waiting to be launched.
The Long March 12A is also aiming for lift-off in December, and will attempt to reach orbit before bringing its first stage back to Earth. The Long March 12A was designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and can lift 12 tonnes into low-Earth orbit.
It is a reusable version derived from the Long March 12—a kerosene-fueled rocket that currently launches internet satellites—that has also been upgraded to run on methane.
In October, LandSpace announced that the Zhuque-3 had completed fueling rehearsals and a full-duration engine firing test. Its launch was delayed after space debris hit the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft docked at the Tiangong space station, which led to the mission crew having to return to Earth aboard an alternative vessel.
Zhuque-3's new launch date was set for the end of November, but was later delayed again. No reason was given. The successful orbital insertion despite the recovery failure demonstrates that LandSpace has mastered fundamental rocket design and launch operations. The company can now focus on refining landing procedures while continuing to launch payloads—albeit at higher costs without reusability savings.
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