According to CCTV News, China’s domestically developed Zhuque-3 rocket, designed for reusable vertical recovery, successfully completed a 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing test on September 11 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
This test represents a significant breakthrough for China’s commercial space sector in reusable rocket technology. It marks a crucial step towards achieving high-capacity, low-cost, and frequent space launches in the future.
The Zhuque-3 is China’s first stainless steel rocket, developed by Landspace. Compared to its predecessor, the Zhuque-2, the Zhuque-3 is larger and has a greater payload capacity.
Landspace’s founder and CEO, Zhang Changwu, previously revealed that the Zhuque-3 will undergo an orbital validation test next year. With this validation, the goal is to return the first-stage rocket and achieve reusability by 2026.