👀 Introducing Zhuque-3Keywords: reusable, methane, stainless steel, 20t expended, >16.5t landing on ship, >11t landing on land, 9 TQ-12A engines (?)Source: https://weibo.com/6065432153/4970458732303379
As Landspace prepares for the third flight of its ZhuQue-2 rocket, it announced a significantly larger stainless steel vehicle. @BCCarCounters has the details for @NASASpaceflight:
👀 Introducing stainless steel methane "Falcon-9" - Zhuque-3¥20,000RMB/kg (~$2,800USD/kg)
Weibo post says LANDSPACE plans to do a VTVL hop test soonweibo.com/5549194014/497…
One more animation of Zhuque-3 reveals more design details.The second stage engine TQ-15B will produce 1183kN thrust in vacuum with 3500s specific impulse
Designed to be like Falcon-9 and designed to launch things like being launched by Falcon-9, but stainless steel and methane
3500s Isp? That sounds optimistic.
sorry for the typo, 3500m/s
According to the CEO of landscape. They will do a VTVL test in next 20ish days. Via mbd.baidu.com/newspage/data/…
3D rendering of Zhuque-3
Land Space VTVL test launch pad & demonstration pics. Rumors say the test will happen in next week. via m.weibo.cn/status/4977361…
LANDSPACE shares more renderings of 660t Zhuque-3. Stainless steel, methane and reusable.
18*2 = 36 Starlink-style satellites per launch?mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qNSp-DPOY_H_…
If only they would announce the upper stage to use Starship-compatible on-orbit methalox refueling.Upper stage propellant mass should be similar to what a single Starship tanker can supply to LEO, so with 2 re-usable launches and 1 LEO docking operation, something like 12 tonnes can be sent direct to Saturn, 7.5 tonnes to Neptune, or 18 tonnes to Jupiter (e.g. launching Europa Lander directly, instead of on SLS with gravity assists)(assuming upper stage can fit 120 tonnes of propellant & 5 tonnes dry mass)
🚀 Following its huge successes this year, LANDSPACE announces its reusable Zhuque-3 LOX/methane rocket! Dec 2023 will see a 100m first-stage recovery test, with assembly & flight validations in 2024! Aimed for maiden flight readiness in 2025. Full HD:
If it has a horizontal T/E, why the need for such an incredibly complex launch tower?
Satellite imagery taken on 2023-12-17 shows that Landspace's reusable hopper vehicle may be on the test stand at Launch Complex 96.
Official confirmation from LandSpace, with video: https://weibo.com/6507732051/NCzPB4pQQ
Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/19/2024 08:09 amOfficial confirmation from LandSpace, with video: https://weibo.com/6507732051/NCzPB4pQQThis is so cool! Hoppy has a cousin, and one that doesn't look like a water tower. Is there any indication if they're moving next to an in-flight engine restart test?
👀. A big boom happened at ~19:24 local time in Shanghai. Leaked documents show it was an explosion in LANDSPACE
Luckily only three got minor injuries twitter.com/whyyoutouzhele…
The boom turns out to be from LANDSPACE's cryogenic tank rupture test. The tank failed under 0.65MPa. m.guancha.cn/politics/2024_…
The launch capacity of Zhuque-3, released on the LandSpace homepage, under three flight trajectories: full discard - 21.3 tons, first-stage recovery in sea area - 18.3 tons, first-stage return to base recovery - 12.5 tons. Source:m.weibo.cn/status/O4l9bhR…
LANDSPACE to test Zhuque-3's 10km VTVL vertical take-off and landing in June. CEO aims for 20+ reusable flights, first launch next year. Capacity over 18 tons, price drop from $8500 per kg to $2800 per kg is expected. Source:m.weibo.cn/status/O4W5Ody…
Activity nearby Landspace's Zhuque-2 launch pad may be a sign of work beginning on a launch pad to support the company's larger Zhuque-3 rocket.
ZQ-3 transportation & erection vehicle. It looks like the payloads with upstage will be lifted to the erected rocket by crank sitting at the top of the tower. via LandSpace patents
Land Space starts manufacturing stainless steel rocket body. via https://weibo.com/6507732051/O6VWngoek
Quote👀. A big boom happened at ~19:24 local time in Shanghai. Leaked documents show it was an explosion in LANDSPACEhttps://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1751984440681894382QuoteLuckily only three got minor injuries twitter.com/whyyoutouzhele…https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1752187013431021583QuoteThe boom turns out to be from LANDSPACE's cryogenic tank rupture test. The tank failed under 0.65MPa. m.guancha.cn/politics/2024_…
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 01/30/2024 06:40 amQuote👀. A big boom happened at ~19:24 local time in Shanghai. Leaked documents show it was an explosion in LANDSPACEhttps://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1751984440681894382QuoteLuckily only three got minor injuries twitter.com/whyyoutouzhele…https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1752187013431021583QuoteThe boom turns out to be from LANDSPACE's cryogenic tank rupture test. The tank failed under 0.65MPa. m.guancha.cn/politics/2024_…I was reading Sino Defense Forum thread (sometime interesting news appear there) and there was a video touring Landspace facilities this caught my eye.I wonder if this is from that failed test. I used google translate and it seems it might be related.
LANDSPACE aims for reusability with 'Zhuque-3' by 2026. Founder Zhang Changwu plans vertical takeoff tests and orbital verification next year for the liquid oxygen methane rocket. Recovering first stage upon orbit entry is a key goal. Source:m.weibo.cn/status/OeOUS8v…
LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 nine-engine parallel rocket model. There is still a considerable distance to go before the final product is released. Source:m.weibo.cn/status/Ooi1fCZ…
Looks like we've got a Landspace Zhuque-3 hop test coming very soon. https://m.weibo.cn/status/5059405152260887
LANDSPACE is expected to conduct the 10km VTVL test flight of the Zhuque-3 prototype today. Some significant reusability tests will be carried out:🔵 Transonic attitude control by engine/grid fins/cold gas thrusters🔵 Reignition under high dynamic pressure🔵 Glide under high
winds at high altitude
Official poster of LandSpace's hopper of the second jump.
By the way, It seems the engine couldn't gimbal if they cover the insulation like that.
If the engine couldn't gimbal. No wonder why Land Space need to wait for a perfect weather condition
https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1820659147475706295QuoteBy the way, It seems the engine couldn't gimbal if they cover the insulation like that.QuoteIf the engine couldn't gimbal. No wonder why Land Space need to wait for a perfect weather condition
Land Space's 10km VTVL footage
Yes, today at GMT+8
Another step forward for China's #reusablerocket!The prototype of #Zhuque3 reusable rocket blasted off from #Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday, completing a 10km-level Vertical takeoff & vertical landing (#VTVL) flight test.（Photo：LandSpace）
Land Space has completed 10 km level VTVL test. I was wrong about the which one would jump
High altitude secondary ignition.
China's #Zhuque3 reusable rocket prototype has completed 10km-level #VTVLtest. Zhuque-3 is a methane and liquid oxygen-powered reusable rocket developed by a Chinese private company #LandSpace. It is expected to be ready for maiden flight in 2025.(Video: LandSpace)
The best moment of LANDSPACE's Zhuque-3 VTVL test is of course the TQ-12A reignition in midair, captured by the onboard camera.
Found this video on YouTube that appears to show almost the entire 11 September 2024 200 seconds "hop" by the Zhuque-3 VTVL test stage from liftoff to landing (despite the somewhat annoying watermark, occasional text, flag, and sound effects), the view is from an on-board camera mounted near one of the three landing legs:
CCTV released 360 degree VR footage of the flight. You can adjust the view to any angle you want. That’s how the raceway was blown away during the secondary ignition. Via Douyin CCTV
I believe this is from 360 degree VR footage release by CCTV on Douyin app exclusively, where you can look around the video footage.
Mission badge of Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 rocket recovery test flight. Source:m.weibo.cn/status/Oxe2Q60…
Starship achieves "chopsticks" to hold rockets. Dong Kai, deputy chief engineer of the Suzaku-3 rocket model of Blue Arrow Aerospace: We are only one step away from fully reusable carriersAccording to CCTV News, on the 13th local time, the "Starship" of the US Space Exploration Technology Company (SpaceX) conducted its fifth test flight, attempting and successfully achieving the landing and recovery of the rocket booster for the first time. The booster was caught by a launch tower with a robotic arm. This attempt was also likened to holding the rocket with "chopsticks".Regarding this test flight, on October 15, Dong Kai, deputy chief engineer of the Suzaku-3 rocket model of Blue Arrow Aerospace, pointed out to the reporter of "Daily Economic News" that the biggest highlight of the fifth test flight of SpaceX's "Starship" was that on the basis of the previous four flights, the recovery of the super-heavy first stage and the precise splashdown of the second stage at the predetermined position were successfully completed-only one step away from fully reusing the carrier.According to public information, the "Starship" rocket is about 120 meters long and about 9 meters in diameter. It consists of two parts. The first stage is a "super-heavy" booster about 70 meters long, and the second stage is a "Starship" spacecraft. Both stages are reusable. The design goal of the rocket is to send people and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon and even Mars.Yuan Yu, general manager of the Technical Strategy Department of the Blue Arrow Aerospace Research and Development Center, believes that the biggest highlight of this flight is that all technical goals of the entire system have been verified, proving to the world that this whole new set of major plans is feasible, including the first-stage suspension recovery and the second-stage reentry recovery.In this test flight, the scene of the "chopsticks" clamping the rocket is impressive. Dong Kai introduced that compared with vertical landing, since the weight of the super-heavy rocket itself is already very large, the most direct benefit of this rapid recovery method is to reduce the weight of the recovery leg part, which is equivalent to reducing the dry weight of the structure. It is very beneficial to improve and ensure the carrying capacity of the rocket and achieve the ultimate goal of the carrier. However, the trial and error cost of this method is also relatively high. Once it fails, it may cause damage to both the rocket and the launch tower.In Dong Kai's view, the problem of space delivery capability must be solved after all. The way to solve this problem is to recover and reuse rockets. "In the future, we need to cultivate our internal strength. The first and foremost core is to use Suzaku-3 to solve the problem of whether China has reusable rockets."According to Dong Kai, if all goes well, it is expected that in the first quarter of next year, Suzaku-3 may participate in large-scale ground tests in its complete form for the first time, and it is planned to start three flights of Suzaku-3 next year, hoping to achieve the recovery of a sub-stage within three flights.
In a podcast with the deputy chief Dongkai. The first batch of ZQ-3 may still use the TQ-12A engine. Quote: "In our ZQ-3 test flight plan, we use this engine (TQ-12 series). The ZQ-3 spec would be different at different iteration stage of the engine" via guiguzaozhidao.fireside.fm/20240348
LANDSPACE completed some tests of Zhuque-3's grid fins recently
QuoteDoubt that's gonna happen, but LANDSPACE's CEO reportedly said two launches of Zhuque-2E are planned for November & December.2025, 6 Zhuque-2E and 3 Zhuque-3 2026, 6 Zhuque-2E and 12 Zhuque-3https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1856146867681370421QuoteLANDSPACE CEO ZHANG Changwu: the cost to launch on Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 will be less than RMB50k/kg and 30k/kg (about $7k/kg & $4k/kg)
Doubt that's gonna happen, but LANDSPACE's CEO reportedly said two launches of Zhuque-2E are planned for November & December.2025, 6 Zhuque-2E and 3 Zhuque-3 2026, 6 Zhuque-2E and 12 Zhuque-3
LANDSPACE CEO ZHANG Changwu: the cost to launch on Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 will be less than RMB50k/kg and 30k/kg (about $7k/kg & $4k/kg)
Alleged Basic type vs Improved type Zhuque 3 characteristics. Basic type will use TQ-12A/15A engines, and will be smaller. Basic type will likely be used at least on the first 3 launches of 2025. Basic: >=11.8t to LEO Expended >=8t to LEO ASDS landing.
ZQ-3 user manual
Interesting development. Landspace will begin launching cargo missions to the Tiangong space station in 2026. https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5105623419324980
9 TQ-12 of Zhuque-3 first stage are ready. via Land Space
ZQ-3’s launch tower (left) with render (right). via https://weibo.com/5658451754/PaKvs74GR
TQ-12B and other TQ-12A series
🔥 LANDSPACE conducted the first static fire of Zhuque-3's first stage at 04:00UTC today on the newly built Zhuque-3 launch pad. Several factors made it special. Stainless steel body. 9 Tianque-12A metholox engines. 7542kN thrust
First Zhuque-3 launch slips from Q3 to Q4, according to CCTV.
45 seconds SF, 66m tall rocket (with upper stage & fairing), 570t GLOW
Quote from: TheKutKu on 06/20/2025 03:25 pm45 seconds SF, 66m tall rocket (with upper stage & fairing), 570t GLOWStrangely, the LV came out in its Erector transporter, but it was hired two cranes to lift it up and onto the launch mount. With the Apollo-style crane at the top of the tower, it looks impressive, but is it used? Tower cranes are a thing of the past. Anyway, the chopstick wasn't ready for the initial Superheavy and required cranes to be placed onto the OLM, but this ZhuQue-3 is ready to Go-Go.
Quote from: catdlr on 07/10/2025 11:51 amQuote from: TheKutKu on 06/20/2025 03:25 pm45 seconds SF, 66m tall rocket (with upper stage & fairing), 570t GLOWThe TE is designed for raising the S1+S2 assembly (with Payload&fairing later vertically integrated on pad with a crane), without the S2, it can't raise the first stage.Got it, TheKutKu, Thanks. But if they're going to SF every booster like F9 on the first try, they're going to have to bring in those cranes every time to stack it.
Quote from: TheKutKu on 06/20/2025 03:25 pm45 seconds SF, 66m tall rocket (with upper stage & fairing), 570t GLOWThe TE is designed for raising the S1+S2 assembly (with Payload&fairing later vertically integrated on pad with a crane), without the S2, it can't raise the first stage.Got it, TheKutKu, Thanks. But if they're going to SF every booster like F9 on the first try, they're going to have to bring in those cranes every time to stack it.
45 seconds SF, 66m tall rocket (with upper stage & fairing), 570t GLOWThe TE is designed for raising the S1+S2 assembly (with Payload&fairing later vertically integrated on pad with a crane), without the S2, it can't raise the first stage.
