Landspace Targets Q2 for Next Zhuque-3 Orbital Launch and Booster Recovery Attempt

China - Ekhbary News Agency

Landspace Targets Q2 for Next Zhuque-3 Orbital Launch and Booster Recovery Attempt

Chinese commercial launch firm Landspace is setting its sights on the second quarter (Q2) of 2026 for its next orbital launch and booster recovery mission with the Zhuque-3 rocket. The company is also aiming for a critical booster reuse test in the fourth quarter (Q4) of the same year. This ambitious roadmap underscores Landspace's rapid progress and determination to establish itself as a key player in the global commercial space sector.

The upcoming attempt follows Landspace's inaugural orbital launch of the Zhuque-3, a stainless steel, methalox-fueled rocket, which took place in early December 2025. This mission marked China's first-ever attempt at landing an orbital booster. While the upper stage successfully reached its intended orbit, the booster recovery phase concluded unsuccessfully due to an anomaly that occurred after the initiation of the first stage's landing burn. The booster ultimately impacted the ground approximately 40 meters off-center from its designated landing zone in Wuwei County, Gansu Province, situated roughly 390 kilometers downrange from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

Speaking at a technical briefing, Landspace official Cai Guorui, general manager for the department of quality and safety, confirmed the Q2 2026 target for the second orbital launch and landing attempt. He further elaborated that, contingent on a successful recovery of the first stage, the company plans to conduct a reuse test in Q4 2026. These updates were presented during a session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Scientific and Technical Subcommittee in February 2026, highlighting the company's commitment to transparency and international engagement.

Cai noted that despite the ultimate failure of the recovery, several critical phases of the landing sequence were executed as planned. These included high-altitude gliding, attitude adjustments, grid fin deployment, the de-orbit burn, and aerodynamic deceleration. "Landspace will continue to optimize the first stage recovery workflow and try to achieve successful recovery in the next flight of ZQ-3," the presentation stated, emphasizing a data-driven approach to refining their recovery procedures.

The second stage of the initial Zhuque-3 launch performed admirably, achieving a planned 200 by 200-kilometer orbit inclined at 55 degrees. Cai revealed that this stage completed a substantial 1400-second coast phase and successfully underwent a re-ignition test. This capability is crucial for enabling higher-energy missions and more complex satellite deployment profiles. The stage was subsequently passivated, and its orbital decay was recorded on January 30, 2026.

The Zhuque-3 rocket is designed with significant payload capabilities. It can lift 21,300 kilograms to a 450-km low Earth orbit in its expendable configuration. When the first stage is recovered downrange, the payload capacity is 18,300 kg, and it can deliver 12,500 kg when the first stage returns to the launch site, indicating its potential for reuse. These figures suggest that Zhuque-3's reusable launch capacity is estimated to be around 75-85% of that of SpaceX's Falcon 9. This would represent a substantial increase in China's launch capacity and cadence, particularly for deploying satellites for the nation's burgeoning constellation programs.

Further details emerged regarding the re-entry of the second stage. According to a U.S. Space Force TIP message, the stage re-entered the atmosphere at 12:39 UTC (±1 min) over the Southern Ocean. Notably, there was significant interest in this event across Europe, attributed to the predicted ground tracks and re-entry estimates, underscoring the global attention on China's advancements in space launch capabilities.

Cai also detailed the key technologies validated by the first Zhuque-3 flight and outlined Landspace's vertically integrated industrial ecosystem. This includes a headquarters in Beijing for R&D, propulsion and power systems work in Xi'an, structures development in Shanghai, an intelligent engine manufacturing base in Huzhou for production and hot-fire testing, and an intelligent rocket manufacturing base in Jiaxing for vehicle assembly and integration. Launch operations are supported by the company's dedicated pad at the Dongfeng commercial zone within the Jiuquan spaceport.

Landspace has been actively securing business, recently signing launch contracts for the Guowang megaconstellation. The company has also taken steps towards financial growth, with an application accepted for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) targeting $1 billion. This positions Landspace alongside other ambitious Chinese commercial space entities like Galactic Energy, Space Pioneer, CAS Space, Orienspace, Space Epoch, iSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace, all of which are targeting debuts of potentially reusable rockets in 2026. Meanwhile, the state-owned CASC is expected to launch its Long March 10A, 10B, and 12B variants, having itself made a booster recovery attempt with the Long March 12A in December.

Andrew Jones covers China's space industry for SpaceNews. He has previously lived in China and reported from major space conferences there. Based in Helsinki, Finland, he has written for National Geographic, New Scientist, Smithsonian Magazine, and Sky & Telescope.

Ekhbary News Agency