Zhuque-3
A rendering of the Zhuque-3 | |
| Function | Orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | LandSpace |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | Zhuque-3: 65.9 m (216 ft) Zhuque-3E: 76.2 m (250 ft) |
| Diameter | 4.5 m (15 ft) |
| Mass | Zhuque-3: 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb) Zhuque-3E: 654,500 kg (1,442,900 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) 450 km | |
| Mass | Zhuque-3: 11,800 kg (26,000 lb) (expended) 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) (recovered; down-range) Zhuque-3E: 21,300 kg (47,000 lb) (expended) 18,300 kg (40,300 lb) (recovered; down-range) 12,500 kg (27,600 lb) (recovered; back to launch point) |
| Launch history | |
| Status |
|
| Launch sites |
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| Total launches |
|
| Success(es) |
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| Landings | 0 |
| First flight | 3 December 2025 04:00 UTC |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | Zhuque-3: 9 × TQ-12A Zhuque-3E: 9 × TQ-12B |
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
| Second stage | |
| Powered by | Zhuque-3: 1 × TQ-15A Vacuum Zhuque-3E: 1 × TQ-15B Vacuum |
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3, Chinese: 朱雀三号) is an active, two-stage, medium-to-heavy partially recoverable launch vehicle made of stainless steel and powered by liquid methane fuel. It is the third in a series of orbital-class launch vehicles developed by LandSpace Technology Corporation (LandSpace), a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Beijing.
The maiden flight of Zhuque-3 occurred on 3 December 2025. Although Landspace's attempt to achieve first-stage recovery during the rocket's maiden flight proved to be unsuccessful, the company nevertheless hopes to progress towards the milestone of first-stage reusability in the future.