Zhuque-3 Height 1.32m 1:50 Split-part printing Zhuque-3 Carrier Rocket China Aerospace

Zhuque-3 Height 1.32 meters 1:50 Print in parts Zhuque-3 Carrier Rocket China Aerospace

Zhuque-3 (code ZQ-3) is a reusable liquid oxygen-methane carrier rocket developed by LandSpace Technology Corporation, officially announced on December 9, 2023

The rocket uses high-strength stainless steel for its body and tank structure, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and shortening the production cycle. The rocket body has a diameter of 4.5 meters, fairing diameter 5.2 meters, overall length 76.6 meters, take-off weight approximately 660 tons, take-off thrust approximately 900 tons. Its low-Earth orbit payload capacity reaches 21.3 tons (expendable mission) and 18.3 tons (return-to-launch-site mission). The first stage is equipped with 9 Tianque-12B engines, each with a sea-level thrust of 1000 kilonewtons, and the second stage is equipped with 1 Tianque-15B vacuum engine with a vacuum thrust of 1183 kilonewtons. It is designed for at least 20 reuses, and the first-stage engine can fly again after recovery without needing to be removed from the rocket for inspection. Launch costs are reduced by 80-90% compared to expendable rockets. Zhuque-3 uses 4 sets of deployable grid fins and tail landing legs for vertical recovery. It has multi-satellite launch capability and can meet launch demands for multiple orbits, including low-Earth orbit and sun-synchronous orbit

On January 19, 2024, the first vertical return technology flight test was completed. On September 11, a 10-kilometer-class vertical take-off and landing return flight was successfully achieved, breaking through in-air re-ignition and guidance control technologies. In April 2025, the 100th Tianque series engine rolled off the production line. In June, the first-stage power system static fire test was passed. In October, propellant loading rehearsal and static fire tests were completed, entering the critical preparation phase for the maiden flight. The maiden flight mission was implemented in two phases: the first phase was propellant loading rehearsal and static fire testing, and the second phase aimed primarily for orbital launch and attempted first-stage recovery. The maiden flight, originally scheduled for November 29, 2025, was postponed due to force majeure. On December 3, the rocket was successfully launched and entered its predetermined orbit at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Area, however, during first-stage recovery, a soft landing could not be achieved due to abnormal combustion

1、Sketch:

2、Main Thruster One:

3、Main Thruster Two:

4、Main Thruster Three:

5、Main Thruster Four:

6、Main Thruster Five:

7、Main Thruster Six:

8、Main Thruster Seven:

9、Main Thruster Eight:

10、Main Thruster Nine:

11、Main Thruster Ten:

12、Main Thruster Eleven:

13、Main Thruster Twelve:

14、Main Thruster Thirteen:

15、Main Thruster Fourteen:

16、Main Thruster Fifteen:

17、Main Thruster Sixteen:

18、Main Thruster Seventeen:

19、Main Thruster Eighteen:

20、Main Thruster Nineteen:

21、Main Thruster Twenty:

22、Finished view:

23、Comparison view: