China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 completes major engine cluster test

China's commercial rocket firm LandSpace successfully conducted a crucial ground ignition test of the first-stage propulsion system for its reusable Zhuque-3 rocket on Friday. This significant milestone propels the rocket toward the project's planned 2025 debut flight.

Conducted at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the test featured China's largest and most automated nine-engine parallel cluster hot-fire test to date, announced LandSpace.

The test utilized a first-stage structure that is consistent with the technical status of the Zhuque-3's maiden flight mission, said the Beijing-based rocket firm.

"This test achieved an exceptionally high degree of fidelity to actual flight conditions and replicated exactly how the system will fly in space during the test on the ground," said a press release of LandSpace.

The comprehensive trial rigorously simulated the entire pre-launch and flight sequence, covering propellant loading, tank pressurization, sequential engine ignition in batches, sustained stable operation and programmed shutdown procedures, according to the press release.

The 45-second test is powered by nine of LandSpace's self-developed liquid oxygen-methane engines, which generated a total thrust of 7,542 kilonewtons (kN).

It validated the compatibility between all major subsystems – engines, pressurization and delivery systems, structures and avionics – and verified the rational design of the ground support and launch control processes, LandSpace said.

The Zhuque-3 rocket has a diameter of 4.5 meters and a total length of around 66 meters, with its first stage designed to be reused at least 20 times. It can launch multiple satellites at one time, such as flat stackable satellites.

Its storage tank is made of high-strength stainless steel, and it has the potential to reduce launch costs by 80 to 90 percent compared to single-use rockets.

The first-stage engine of Zhuque-3 can be checked without being separated from the rocket after it is recovered, and can fly again after refueling, much like plane flights, according to LandSpace.