China’s Zhuque-3: A New Era of Reusable Spaceflight Takes Off

 

​In a landmark achievement for China's rapidly accelerating commercial space sector, the private aerospace firm LandSpace successfully conducted the inaugural flight of its Zhuque-3 reusable rocket. This launch, taking place on December 3, 2025, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, is not merely another rocket deployment; it represents China’s definitive entry into the competitive global arena of fully reusable space transportation, directly challenging established players like SpaceX.

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The Technical Triumph: Methane-Powered Reusability

​The Zhuque-3 is a two-stage rocket distinguished by its use of advanced, cutting-edge technology:

​Methane-Oxygen Propulsion: Like SpaceX’s Starship and other next-generation rockets, the Zhuque-3 is powered by methane (or Methane-LOX) engines, specifically LandSpace's own Tianshang-12 (TQ-12) engines. Methane is considered the fuel of the future for reusable rockets due to its higher performance, lower cost, and "coking" characteristics that allow for easier engine cleaning and faster turnaround between flights.

​Vertical Landing Capability: The first stage of the Zhuque-3 is designed to execute an autonomous landing back at the launch site or on a dedicated landing pad, similar to the operations of the Falcon 9. This reusability is the key to dramatically driving down the cost of access to low-Earth orbit (LEO).

​Stainless Steel Construction: In a move mirroring Starship's design philosophy, the Zhuque-3 features a structure built from stainless steel. This material choice is advantageous due to its high strength-to-weight ratio at extreme temperatures and relatively low cost compared to traditional aerospace alloys.

​Shaking Up the Global Space Landscape

​The successful launch of the Zhuque-3 has profound implications, both domestically and internationally.

​For China's Space Program: The launch validates the capability of China's private sector to develop sophisticated, reliable, and cost-effective launch solutions. This private sector competition is crucial for building out China's planned megaconstellations—vast networks of LEO satellites similar to Starlink—and for supporting the ongoing operations of its Tiangong Space Station. By lowering the cost of space access, LandSpace is positioning itself as a vital component of the nation's ambitious orbital goals.

​Global Competition: For the rest of the world, particularly the United States and Europe, the Zhuque-3 signals an acceleration of the space race in the commercial sector. Until recently, SpaceX held a near-monopoly on high-frequency, low-cost reusability. China's entry into this market with an indigenous methane-fueled, stainless steel rocket validates the design choices and puts immediate pressure on Western companies to innovate faster and reduce their prices to remain competitive for international launch contracts. This increased competition is expected to ultimately benefit global users by driving down launch prices across the board.

​The Zhuque-3, with its successful maiden voyage, confirms that the era of inexpensive, frequent access to space is rapidly expanding beyond a single player. LandSpace’s achievement cements China's status not only as a leading governmental space power but also as a formidable commercial force poised to reshape the economics of orbital flight for the next decade.