China and Europe’s space startups are adopting innovations from SpaceX as they push forward in the space race. In this 7.11 edition of Rocket Report, we explore how China’s space sector, no longer in its infancy, is making rapid advancements. China’s private space companies, previously relying on solid-fuel rockets derived from military technology, are now testing larger rockets. These tests, known as “hop tests,” resemble the ones conducted by SpaceX’s Grasshopper and F9R Dev1 programs over a decade ago.
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Landspace and China’s Rocket Reusability Milestones
Chinese space startup Landspace has successfully carried out a 10-kilometer (33,000-foot) vertical takeoff and landing test with its Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) reusable rocket. Aviation Week & Space Technology reported that this test included mid-flight engine reignition in near-supersonic conditions. The rocket, standing 18.3 meters (60 feet) tall, launched from the Jiuquan site in northwestern China, reached 10,002 meters altitude, and made a controlled vertical landing 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) from the launch pad.
Significantly, the rocket’s methane-fueled variable-thrust engine was deliberately shut off mid-flight and reignited during descent, simulating how future booster flybacks will operate. The booster utilized grid fins and cold gas thrusters to maintain control during the engine shutdown, according to Landspace.
Landspace sees this test as a major step toward the planned launch of its Zhuque-3 rocket, which could take place next year. The Zhuque-3, equipped with nine methane-fueled engines, will be capable of delivering 21 metric tons (46,300 pounds) of payload to low-Earth orbit in an expendable configuration. By 2026, Landspace aims to recover and reuse the Zhuque-3’s first-stage boosters.
Landspace is not alone in China’s race for rocket reusability. Deep Blue Aerospace, another key player, plans to conduct a 100-kilometer (62-mile) suborbital test of its reusable booster soon, paving the way for the first flight of its Nebula-1 medium-class rocket next year.
For more insights into China’s space advancements and upcoming launches, stay tuned to future editions of the Rocket Report.