Kathmandu— China successfully launched the reusable Zhuque-3 rocket on Wednesday morning from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, achieving its first recovery of a rocket's first stage on land. The 7:35 a.m. (Beijing Time) launch saw the Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket deploy the Honghu-03 satellite into orbit before completing a controlled landing in Minqin County, Gansu Province. This milestone follows a sea-based recovery of another rocket’s first stage last month and signals significant progress in China's reusable rocket technology program.

Precision Landing Challenges

The return phase of the Zhuque-3’s first stage required precise maneuvering, as described by Zhuque-3’s chief commander Dai Zheng. “As the rocket tore through low altitude skies, it was still at a supersonic speed,” he said. “There was only a single chance in such process, just like nailing a high-speed parking maneuver in one shot.” The recovery involved key maneuvers including attitude adjustment, propulsive deceleration, aerodynamic glide, and deployment of landing legs.

Technological Advancements

The Zhuque-3, developed by LandSpace with approval from the China National Space Administration (CNSA), is a liquid oxygen-methane powered rocket designed for low-cost, high-capacity launches. The 66.1-meter rocket features a stainless steel structure and nine TQ-12A engines capable of adjustable thrust. Prior to this successful landing, LandSpace conducted a test flight last December where the second stage reached orbit but first-stage recovery failed. Based on lessons learned from that attempt, the Y2 version incorporated optimizations such as reducing engine ignition for landing and enhancing re-entry resistance.

Future Implications for Space Access

Industry experts believe this achievement will accelerate the deployment of low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations. The successful validation of the technical approach – combining liquid oxygen-methane propulsion, stainless steel construction, vertical landing, and recovery – is a key step forward. LandSpace plans to re-fly the recovered booster as soon as possible, aiming for a closed-loop system of launch, recovery, inspection, and reuse. The CNSA has indicated its commitment to advancing reusable launch vehicles to enhance China’s access to space.

Economic Considerations

The economic viability of reusable rockets hinges on reducing launch costs through repeated use of the first stage, which currently accounts for approximately 70 percent of total expenses. Liquid oxygen-methane propellant represents a small fraction of overall cost. According to LandSpace, Wednesday’s mission verified both the design and reliability of the Zhuque-3 system, transitioning it from technology validation to operational reuse validation.

LandSpace will continue conducting missions to verify the rocket's performance under various conditions, while the CNSA plans further advancements in reusable launch vehicle deployment.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.