China's Zhuque-3 reusable rocket completes 1st vertical takeoff and landing test

The first vertical takeoff and landing test (VTVL) for the Zhuque-3 reusable methane-powered carrier rocket was successfully conducted in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China on Friday afternoon, according to its developer LandSpace, a Chinese commercial aerospace company.

The company said that the test flight lasted for about 60 seconds, with the trial rocket reaching a height of approximately 350 meters above the ground. The rocket landed 100 meters away from the liftoff point with a precision of about 2.4 meters.

The company said that the full-sized trial rocket prototype verified the key technologies for the first stage of Zhuque-3, which is set to be launched in 2025. These technologies include variable-thrust technology with a wide range and landing guidance and control.

Made of stainless steel, the trial rocket is 3.35 meters in diameter and 18.3 meters in height.

The trial rocket is powered by an improved 80-tonne Tianque-12 methalox engine, which has undergone tests on the ground for more than 100,000 seconds. Methalox is a type of rocket propellant made from a mixture of liquid oxygen and methane. The engine will be used in both the following Zhuque-2 and the upcoming Zhuque-3 rockets. 

The liftoff weight for the test on Friday was more than 50 tonnes, and it could reach 68 tonnes in the subsequent tests. The trial rocket's landing legs were proven to be able to support 40 tonnes of landing weight. This verification has laid a solid foundation for the following tests, both on land and at sea, according to its developer.

LandSpace says that based on the success on Friday, the company will conduct a test flight reaching a height of 10 kilometers above the ground this year, further verifying all key technologies for the reusable rocket.

Last month, the company announced the plan to launch Zhuque-3 in 2025 when it successfully sent the Zhuque-2 non-reusable rocket into orbit for the second time, demonstrating its determination to develop the methalox carrier rocket.

According to the plan, Zhuque-3 will be the first stainless steel methalox carrier rocket in China, measuring over 76 meters in length and 4.5 meters in diameter. The rocket will have a liftoff weight of about 660 tonnes and a lift-off thrust of approximately 900 tonnes.

The first stage of Zhuque-3 is designed to be reused more than 20 times, and its carrying capacity could reach more than 21 tonnes to meet the needs of large-scale missions, said LandSpace.

(CGTN's Liu Wei contributed to the story.)