China's Zhuque-3 reusable rocket completes final major tests before maiden flight

China's Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) reusable rocket has completed its last major ground tests ahead of its maiden flight at a commercial launch site near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to its developer, LandSpace.

The rocket has recently completed a series of key tests, including a refueling rehearsal and a static ignition. It will return to the technical area for inspection and review with its launch plan and procedures to be refined.

Since the rocket completed its first vertical takeoff and landing test in January 2024, it has undergone a series of tests. Zhuque-3's launch date has to be announced.

When the methane-powered rocket was first unveiled at the end of 2023, LandSpace said that it aimed to launch by the end of 2025.

Officially initiated in August 2023, Zhuque-3 is a high-capacity, low-cost, stainless reusable liquid-fuel launch vehicle designed for large-scale constellation deployment missions.

According to the updated data by LandSpace on Monday, the rocket is 66.1 meters in height, with diameters of 4.5 meters for its first and second stages, 5.2 meters for the fairing. 

Zhuque-3's liftoff weight is approximately 570 tonnes and has a thrust exceeding 750 tonnes.

Meanwhile, other Chinese commercial aerospace companies are also stepping up their plans for reusable rockets, such as Space Pioneer's Tianlong-3, and Interstellar Glory's Hyperbola-3.