LandSpace China prepares for new recovery test of Zhuque-3 rocket

Beijing (ANTARA) - Chinese commercial space company, LandSpace, has announced plans to conduct a new recovery test for its reusable Zhuque-3 rocket in the second quarter of this year, following its maiden flight which ended with an anomaly in December 2025.

The announcement was made during a session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) recently held in Vienna.

The development team is currently optimising the rocket landing procedures. Based on the results of the test in the second quarter, LandSpace is targeting to attempt its first recovery and re-launch mission in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to a company press release on Wednesday (25/2).

If the first stage of the rocket is successfully recovered, it will be refurbished and reused in subsequent Zhuque-3 launches, realising reusability, said the Beijing-based rocket manufacturer.

The Zhuque-3 is a domestically developed, reusable launch vehicle, using liquid oxygen and methane as fuel. The first stage of the rocket is equipped with a reaction control system, grid fins, and landing legs, enabling vertical landing and reusability after launch.

The rocket completed its maiden flight on 3 December 2025. The second stage successfully entered the designated orbit, but the recovery of the first stage failed.

The first stage booster of the rocket experienced abnormal combustion during the recovery process, resulting in a failure to land smoothly on the landing pad, according to LandSpace.