China’s first attempt to land a reusable orbital rocket ended in a dramatic explosion, moments after marking a major milestone for the country’s commercial space sector. The Zhuque 3 rocket, built by Beijing based company Landspace, successfully reached orbit on its maiden launch Tuesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The stainless steel rocket stood 216 feet tall and was powered by a cluster of nine methalox engines intended to mirror the reusable performance of SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
Landspace confirmed that the rocket’s expendable second stage reached orbit without issue. The trouble came during the booster’s return. After reentering the atmosphere, the first stage initiated its landing burn but appeared to lose an engine mid descent. Video filmed from the ground shows flames engulfing the booster just seconds before it slammed into the recovery zone and erupted into a towering fireball.
Landspace reported that “an anomaly occurred as the first stage approached the designated recovery zone” but emphasized that no injuries occurred. The company has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the failure.
Despite the fiery ending, Landspace declared the mission a success. Engineers verified several core technologies needed for reusability, including aerodynamic control, engine throttling, and the booster’s guidance and navigation system. Images shared online show that the vehicle came down within meters of its intended landing pad, a precision milestone rarely achieved on a first attempt.
Zhuque 3 is designed to compete directly with Falcon 9. The rocket can lift up to 40,350 pounds to low Earth orbit, comparable to SpaceX’s workhorse launcher. Its Tianque 12A engines burn liquid methane and liquid oxygen, making it part of a new generation of methalox rockets that offer cleaner combustion and potentially lower costs. SpaceX uses methane engines as well, but only on its much larger Starship system. Landspace previously claimed the world’s first methane powered orbital launch in 2023 with its Zhuque 2 rocket.
The Zhuque series is named for the vermillion bird in Chinese mythology, symbolizing fire. With China racing to develop reusable launch tech, Zhuque 3 represents a major step forward, even with its explosive landing. Landspace says the data gathered will feed directly into its next recovery attempt, bringing China closer to routine, low cost orbital reusability.
