China's Landspace lands Zhuque-3 booster after second orbital launch
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China's Landspace landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket after its second orbital launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Aug. 18. The first stage touched down at a landing site in Minqin County, Gansu Province, about 390 kilometers downrange, while the second stage placed the Honghu-03 satellite into orbit. The landing is China's first ground return of an orbital rocket first stage and makes Landspace the third entity globally to land an orbital booster on legs, after SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Key Facts
- Landspace landed the first stage of Zhuque-3 at 7:43 p.m. Eastern Aug. 18 at a landing site in Minqin County, Gansu Province, about 390 kilometers downrange.
- The second stage placed the Honghu-03 satellite into orbit; its maker Hongqing Technology raised more than $191 million last month.
- The Zhuque-3 lifted off at 7:35 p.m. Eastern (2335 UTC) Aug. 18 from Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
- Landspace becomes the third entity after SpaceX and Blue Origin to land an orbital booster on legs.
- The landing was China's first ground return of an orbital rocket first stage.
The Booster Landing
Landspace launched the second Zhuque-3 rocket at 7:35 p.m. Eastern (2335 UTC) Aug. 18 from Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The first and second stages separated 137 seconds into the flight, and the first stage completed a powered descent and vertical landing around 390 kilometers downrange in Minqin County, Gansu Province, at 7:43 p.m. Eastern. Landing legs deployed in the final moments of the landing burn ahead of a soft touchdown. The second stage went on to insert the Honghu-03 satellite into orbit, Landspace said after the mission. The Honghu-03 satellite was built by Landspace's satellite manufacturing affiliate Hongqing Technology, which last month raised more than $191 million.
Rocket Specifications
Zhuque-3 is a two-stage, stainless steel rocket with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a liftoff mass of about 570 metric tons. The rocket stands approximately 66 meters tall, with its first stage powered by nine Tianque-series methane-liquid oxygen engines. Its payload capacity to low Earth orbit is 21,000 kilograms in expendable mode, or up to 18,300 kg when the first stage is recovered downrange. Landspace describes Zhuque-3 as a new-generation, independently developed reusable methane-liquid oxygen launch vehicle.
Recovery Milestones and Technical Changes
The landing is China's first ground return of an orbital rocket first stage. The previous Chinese booster recovery used a drone vessel at sea with a net-capture system just over a month earlier. Globally, Landspace becomes the third entity, after SpaceX and Blue Origin, to successfully land an orbital booster on legs. The Zhuque-3 Y2 booster landing comes eight and a half months after the debut flight, whose first stage recovery attempt failed during the latter stages of powered descent. Landspace said it reduced the number of engines used in the landing burn, added a predicted landing point to the autonomous safety control system, and improved thermal protection.
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China's Landspace lands Zhuque-3 booster after second orbital launch
