China’s LandSpace plans new test of reusable Zhuque-3 rocket

Chinese company LandSpace plans to conduct a new test in the second quarter for the recovery of the first stage of its reusable Zhuque-3. 

The company aims to carry out its first recovery-and-reflight mission in the fourth quarter, contingent on the outcome of the upcoming test, and if the first stage is successfully recovered, it will be refurbished for use in a future Zhuque-3 launch, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The Zhuque-3 first stage is capable of vertical landing and is designed for 20 reuses, which could significantly reduce the cost of delivering payloads to orbit. The rocket’s maiden flight took place on December 3, 2025. 

During the most recent test, the landing failed due to abnormal engine burn, but the stage accurately reached its designated landing point, according to chief designer Zhang Xiaodong.

The first stage accounts for roughly 60 percent of the rocket’s cost, and reusing it could lower expenses to about 20,000 yuan ($2,800) per kilogram. For comparison, SpaceX’s adoption of reusable technology has reduced Falcon 9 launch costs to $3,000 per kilogram.

Experts note that successfully recovering the first stage will be only the first step toward significantly reducing costs across all phases of space transport.

By Jeyhun Aghazada