LandSpace reviews booster loss after Zhuque-3 reusable rocket test

LandSpace has begun a detailed analysis of its first Zhuque-3 (ZQ 3) orbital test after the reusable rocket's booster was lost during an attempted landing, even as the mission's upper stage reached its planned orbit. The flight, conducted from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, marked China's first orbital-class launch attempt with a stainless-steel methane-fueled vehicle designed from the outset for reusability.

The ZQ 3 Y1 mission lifted off around noon local time, with nine methane-fueled engines powering the first stage and a single upper-stage engine carrying a mass simulator toward low Earth orbit. After stage separation, the upper stage proceeded to its target orbit, while the booster initiated a return trajector

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