LandSpace lands methane-fuelled Zhuque-3 booster

(SpaceEnergy) Chinese launch company LandSpace has successfully returned the liquid oxygen-methane first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket to land after an orbital launch, advancing the vehicle towards operational reuse.

The Zhuque-3 Y2 lifted off from China’s Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area at 07:35 Beijing time on 19 August. About six minutes later, its first stage made a controlled soft landing at the Zhuque-3 landing site in Minqin County, Gansu.

LandSpace said the flight marked China’s first recovery of an orbital-class launch vehicle first stage on land using landing legs. The mission moves Zhuque-3 from recovery-technology testing into engineering verification for reuse.

The reusable Zhuque-3 uses liquid oxygen and methane propulsion. China National Space Administration said its first stage carries nine TQ-12A engines and can perform vertical recovery after orbital launch.

LandSpace said it simplified the Y2 landing propulsion configuration by reducing the number of engines used during landing ignition. It also modified return-control software and protection for the mechanical and thermal environment encountered during atmospheric re-entry.

The recovered stage will now support inspection, maintenance and future reuse-flight work as LandSpace develops Zhuque-3 for lower-cost, higher-frequency launch operations.