Chinese commercial aerospace company LandSpace has announced plans to conduct another recovery test for its reusable Zhuque-3 rocket in the second quarter of this year, following a maiden flight that ended with an anomaly in December 2025.
The announcement was made during a session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) held recently in Vienna.
The development team is currently optimizing the rocket’s landing procedures. Based on the results of the upcoming second-quarter test, the company aims to attempt the first recovery-and-reflight mission in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to a LandSpace press release issued on Wednesday.
If the first stage of the rocket is successfully recovered, it will be refurbished and reused in a subsequent Zhuque-3 launch, achieving reusability, the Beijing-based rocket manufacturer said.
Zhuque-3 is a domestically developed reusable launch vehicle powered by liquid oxygen-methane. The rocket’s first stage is equipped with a reaction control system, grid fins and landing legs, enabling vertical landing and reuse after liftoff.
The rocket completed its maiden flight on Dec. 3, 2025. Its second stage successfully entered its designated orbit; however, recovery of the first stage was unsuccessful.
According to LandSpace, the first-stage booster experienced anomalous combustion during the recovery phase, preventing it from achieving a soft landing on the designated pad. The company said further improvements are underway to enhance landing performance and advance its reusability objectives.
