Methalox

LandSpace launched the inaugural flight of its ZhuQue-3 reusable methalox rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on December 3, 2025. The second stage successfully reached a planned 200 x 200 km orbit inclined at 55 degrees — a significant milestone for Chinese commercial launch. However, the first-stage landing attempt approximately 390 km downrange in Wuwei County, Gansu, failed after an anomalous combustion event during the final landing burn. LandSpace confirmed that key phases of the recovery sequence — high-altitude gliding, grid fin deployment, attitude adjustment, and reentry burn — performed as designed, providing valuable data for the next attempt.