Chinese commercial launch company Landspace is preparing for a landmark event: the first orbital launch and booster landing attempt in the country, featuring its Zhuque-3 rocket. According to airspace closure notices from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the launch is scheduled from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center between approximately 11:00 p.m. Eastern Nov. 28 and 1:00 a.m. Nov. 29 (0400-0600 UTC, or 12:00-2:00 p.m. Beijing time Nov. 29).
The designated drop zone indicates a downrange landing site located approximately 390 kilometers southeast of Jiuquan, specifically in Minqin county, Gansu province. This launch of Zhuque-3 represents China's initial endeavor to recover a first stage post-orbital launch. Notably, state-owned CASC is also preparing for its own attempt from Jiuquan, utilizing the Long March 12A reusable rocket.
Landspace's Zhuque-3 is a two-stage stainless steel rocket, characterized by a 4.5-meter diameter and a liftoff mass of around 570 metric tons. The rocket stands at roughly 66 meters tall on the launch pad, with its first stage powered by nine Tianque-12A methane-liquid oxygen engines. The launch will occur within Landspace facilities located in the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone, near the Jiuquan spaceport. Previous activities include a full-scale propellant loading rehearsal and a static fire test at launch pad 2 for methane-liquid oxygen rockets, conducted Oct. 18-20.
The Zhuque-3 is anticipated to carry a prototype of the reusable Haolong cargo spacecraft, aligning with a program aimed at providing low-cost cargo delivery services to the Tiangong space station. This attempt arrives a decade after SpaceX's successful first stage rocket landing from an orbital launch, using its Falcon 9 rocket. It also occurs weeks after Blue Origin landed a New Glenn booster on the rocket’s second flight.
Zhuque-3 boasts a payload capacity to low Earth orbit (LEO) of 21,000 kilograms in expendable configuration, or up to 18,300 kg with first stage recovery, positioning it competitively with the Falcon 9 in terms of payload capability and closely trailing China's current most powerful launcher, the expendable Long March 5. Last year, Landspace successfully conducted a 10-kilometer-altitude launch and landing test with a first stage in September.
Landspace shared an image of the Zhuque-3 on the Jiuquan pad via its X account Nov. 25, revealing the Long March 2F rocket, which previously launched the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to the Tiangong space station. The launch of Zhuque-3 was reportedly delayed due to the Shenzhou-21 crewed mission from Jiuquan in late October and the subsequent return of the Shenzhou-20 crew in early November.
The Shenzhou-20 return was postponed due to damage discovered on the spacecraft, likely from a debris impact, necessitating the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft for their return. The subsequent emergency launch of Shenzhou-22 also contributed to the delay of the Zhuque-3 mission. "Zhuque-3—along with a number of rockets of other commercial and state actors also close to debut flights—is designed to be able to carry multiple satellites into orbit for China’s megaconstellations, including Guowang, Thousand Sails (Qianfan) and Honghu-3. The new rockets could provide new launch capacity in terms of payload and, eventually, a reliable high cadence of launches."
Landspace emerged shortly after China opened its space sector to private investment in late 2014. Their initial orbital launch attempt was in October 2018 with the solid propellant Zhuque-1, named after the Vermillion Bird from Chinese mythology. While the launch failed, the company shifted focus to developing the methane-powered Zhuque-2. In July 2023, the Zhuque-2 became the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit, recovering from a failed first attempt in December 2022. Although an upgraded version, the Zhuque-2E, has flown successfully, it experienced a failure on its most recent mission Aug. 15. The company secured $123 million from China’s National Manufacturing Transformation and Upgrading Fund in December 2024.
Landspace filed preliminary documents with Chinese regulators in late July, potentially considering an initial public offering (IPO) in early 2026. Early Chinese launch companies primarily developed small, solid propellant rockets, mainly targeting contracts to launch cubesats for institutions. China’s commercial launch sector has since transformed, largely driven by government approval and support for megaconstellation projects requiring large, reusable rockets, thereby emphasizing commercial space as a national priority.