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

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 10, 2025 12:53 PM

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

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

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

According to LandSpace, the developer, 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 for large-scale constellation deployment tasks, per the CCTV.

It uses stainless steel as 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 approximately 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 in October.