Landspace has executed Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 reusable vertical take-off at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center recently.
The company is aiming for the first flight of Zhuque-3 in 2025.
The two-stage Zhuque-3 will be 4.5 meters in diameter and have a total length of 76.6 meters. Mass at liftoff will be about 660 tons and be powered by nine Tianque-12B engines. Payload capacity to LEO will be 21,000 kilograms when expendable. It will carry up to 18,300 kg when the first stage is recovered downrange, or 12,500 kg when returning to the launch site.
The Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 is powered by an engine model that will be used for orbital flight, as with iSpace’s tests.
Regarding Zhuque-3’s roadmap, Landspace told that the firm is working on a 200-ton full-flow staged-combustion-cycle engine, to be ready in 2028.
