Landspace’s Zhuque-3 Rocket Completes First-Stage Take a look at for Maiden Launch

Between October 18 and 20, 2025, Landspace efficiently accomplished the primary stage of the maiden flight mission for its Zhuque-3 Y1 liquid oxygen–methane (LOX–methane) rocket on the No. 2 launch pad within the Dongfeng Business Spaceflight Innovation Take a look at Zone.

The take a look at part included propellant loading rehearsals and a static fireplace take a look at, marking a key milestone in Zhuque-3’s improvement.

The Zhuque-3 is a large-scale, reusable LOX–methane rocket with first-stage reusability. Developed by Landspace, it’s designed for large-constellation deployment, high-frequency satellite tv for pc launches, and crewed spacecraft missions.

The rocket stands about 66 meters tall, weighs roughly 570 metric tons at liftoff, and may ship at the very least 18.3 tons to low-Earth orbit. Its first orbital launch is deliberate for later this 12 months, marking a serious step ahead in China’s industrial reusable launch car capabilities.

In keeping with the corporate, Landspace will subsequent conduct vertical operations rehearsals earlier than returning the rocket to the technical space for inspections and preparations forward of the official orbital launch and first-stage restoration take a look at.

The Zhuque-3 take a look at mission consists of two phases:

• Stage 1: Propellant loading and static fireplace take a look at, adopted by return to the technical space for inspection and upkeep.
• Stage 2: Orbital launch and an tried restoration of the primary stage.
  Zhuque-3 has now entered the essential preparation part for its maiden flight.

On October 24, 2025, Elon Musk posted his feedback on Zhuque-3 provider rocket through social media platform X. He famous that the design of this rocket is much like the Falcon 9, the principle provider of his personal SpaceX, but it surely incorporates designs from the new-generation Starship heavy-lift rocket, resembling liquid oxygen-methane gasoline and a stainless-steel rocket physique.

Subsequently, it could surpass the Falcon 9 sooner or later. Nonetheless, he additionally acknowledged that Starship is in a distinct league (there isn’t a comparability between the 2). Zhuque-3 will take about 5 extra years to achieve the present maturity stage of the Falcon 9, and by then, Starship may have been extensively deployed. Lastly, he emphasised that solely by steady innovation can one stay invincible.