Landspace’s Reusable Rocket, the ZhuQue-3 Hopper, Successfully Takes Flight

In a major milestone for Chinese private aerospace company Landspace, the ZhuQue-3 hopper prototype successfully completed its first hop. This hop is part of Landspace’s demonstration of reusable rocket technology, which is an important step towards the development of the ZhuQue-3 first stage reusable vehicle.

The hop was confirmed on Friday, following rumors that surfaced on social media the previous day. The hopper, known as ZQ-3 VTVL-1 (Vertical Takeoff – Vertical Landing), reached a height of 350 meters and performed a small translation maneuver to land on a specially constructed landing pad. The hopper, weighing 50.3 tons, was powered by a single TQ-12 methane engine, which can throttle between 50-110% of its normal thrust of 80 tons.

Landspace achieved impressive precision with the landing, with a deviation of only 2.4 meters from the target. The hopper landed at a speed of 0.75 meters per second, with a pitch angle of approximately 0.14 degrees and a roll angle of 4.4 degrees. The successful hop marks a significant milestone for Landspace and paves the way for the development of the ZhuQue-3 rocket.

The ZhuQue-3 rocket is planned to be a medium-to-heavy lift launch vehicle powered by methane and constructed out of stainless steel. It will be equipped with updated TQ-12A engines and feature a reusable first stage capable of supporting up to 20 flights. With a length of 76.6 meters and a diameter of 4.5 meters, the ZhuQue-3 is set to make its debut in 2025.

In addition to Landspace’s achievement, several other high-profile missions were conducted in a short period by other Chinese companies. The ESA/China cooperation project, Einstein Probe, was successfully launched atop a Chang Zheng 2C rocket. This project aims to research X-ray astronomy and detect high-energy flashes of cataclysmic cosmic events. Another Chinese company, OrienSpace, also achieved a significant milestone with the successful maiden flight of its Gravity-1 rocket. The solid-based launch vehicle carried three Yunyao-1 weather satellites and marked a rare publicly broadcasted event in Chinese rocket launches.

Furthermore, a Tianzhou 7 spacecraft was launched on a Chang Zheng 7 rocket to the Tiangong Space Station. This was the first time a Tianzhou spacecraft performed a three-hour launch and automated docking plan, marking an important step in the development of the space station.

The resupply mission to the Tiangong Space Station included a cargo mass of approximately 5,600 kilograms, which included fresh fruits for the astronauts, equipment for upcoming Chinese festivals, living supplies, fresh clothing, and scientific instruments.

The Tiangong Space Station, currently operated by China, consists of the Tianhe core module and the Wentian and Mengtian laboratory cabin modules. The station has a length of 55.6 meters, a diameter of 39 meters, and operates at an orbital altitude of 390 km with an orbital inclination of 41.47 degrees. Plans are in place to further expand the station with the addition of the Xuntian Space Telescope module.

The success of these missions demonstrates China’s growing capabilities in the field of space exploration and technology. With private companies like Landspace making significant strides in reusable rocket technology and collaborations with international partners like ESA, China’s space program is poised to make further advancements in the coming years.