China's Rocket Renaissance: LandSpace Ignites Reusability Race

Image Source: Global Times

LandSpace, a private space company of China, marked a milestone for China's private space sector with the successful largescale ground test of the firststage propulsion system for its Zhuque3 rocket. The test was conducted at China's Dongfeng commercial space pilot zone near the country's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It is a milestone for China's pursuit of reusable launch technology.

Major highlights of the achievement:

Nine Tianque12A liquid oxygenmethane engines fired in parallel over a combined thrust of 7,542 kN—China's most powerful and most complex ground hotfire test to date.
Engineers verified key systems like synchronized ignition, staged propellant delivery, and combustion stability under realistic flight conditions from propellant fill to shutdown on program.
deployable grid fins and the rocket's stainless steel structure are intended for vertical recovery, just like the current world trends for reusable launch vehicles.
This test follows a smaller vertical recovery test at 10 kilometers high, which is a testament to Zhuque3's readiness for subsequent recovery missions.
The performance of the propulsion system paves the way for the first flight of the rocket, which will be full reusability in actuality.

Strategic implications:

Zhuque3 is China's initial large liquid oxygenmethane rocket with a reusable first stage, so LandSpace is a global commercial launch player.
The accomplishment proves that China can increasingly produce cheap, sustainable spacecraft hardware, as it works towards goals of challenging established players like SpaceX.

Source: Global Times, Yicai Global