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China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 to make maiden flight this year: developer

Global Times

By Liu Yang and Tao Mingyang Published: Nov 10, 2025 11:08 PM

China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 will make its maiden flight this year, the Global Times learned on Monday from the vehicle's developer LandSpace, a leading Chinese commercial space company.

In October, the reusable rocket successfully completed its fueling rehearsal and static ignition test, marking an entry into the critical preparation phase for its maiden flight.

No reusable rocket in China has ever completed a launch mission, which means that Zhuque-3 is expected to become the country's first operational reusable launch vehicle, stcn.com reported.

According to LandSpace, the Zhuque-3 maiden flight test mission will be divided into two phases.

The first phase involves fueling rehearsals and static ignition tests, followed by a return to the technical area for inspection and maintenance. The second phase focuses on achieving orbital launch as the primary mission objective, while simultaneously attempting first-stage recovery.

The Zhuque-3 is a large-capacity, low-cost, reusable liquid launch vehicle independently developed by China to deploy large-scale constellations, CCTV reported.

Stainless steel is the primary structural material for the rocket body. The rocket's first and second stages have a diameter of 4.5 meters, with a payload fairing diameter of 5.2 meters. The total length of the rocket is 66.1 meters, with a takeoff mass of about 570 tons and a takeoff thrust exceeding 750 tons.

After performing orbital launch missions, the rocket can autonomously return with high precision, achieve a soft landing at the recovery site and be reused.

"If China achieves a breakthrough in this field [of rocket recovery], it will signify immense strategic value and global competitiveness in reducing the cost of space access, accelerating low-orbit constellation deployment, increasing launch frequency and enhancing industrial capabilities. This is not merely a technological leap for a single rocket model but a critical step toward entering the era of 'large-scale space transportation'," a LandSpace spokesperson told the Global Times previously.

On September 15, a first-stage propulsion system test for the Tianlong-3 large liquid-propellant carrier rocket was successfully held at the Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port in East China's Shandong Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The rocket is 72 meters in length with a takeoff mass of 600 tons. It is able to launch 36 satellites in a single mission and supports large-scale cargo transport for China's space station, as well as medium- and high-orbit satellite launches, according to Xinhua.

This is also a large-scale liquid reusable rocket expected to achieve a low-Earth orbit payload capacity of more than 20 tons, with its maiden flight scheduled within the year, CCTV reported.

Industry insiders predict that within this year, several new reusable rocket designs, including the Lijian-2 and Long March 12A, are expected to achieve their maiden flights, according to CCTV.

"Once Chinese commercial space companies master the reusable technology, the country's commercial aerospace industry will further be enhanced, as scale effects are the core feature of a mature industry," Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Monday.

"The progress will drive the rapid expansion of China's launch capabilities, with multiple enterprises collaborating to undertake a larger share of global launch missions, further consolidating the country's leading position in the international commercial aerospace market," Wang said.

In addition, it will effectively stimulate the potential of the domestic commercial aerospace market, and promote innovation and practical implementation in related fields such as satellite communications, therefore fostering a virtuous cycle ecosystem, the expert noted.