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Launch Vehicles
Vehicle family profile

Zhuque 3

朱雀三号

Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.

LandSpaceActive
Admin
Variants
1
Canonical variants linked to this family.
Historical missions
1
Missions in the public mission table with actual launch dates.
Peak listed capacity
21,000 kg
Maximum payload capacity across listed variants and orbits.

Launch Cadence

Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.

YearHistorical missionsForecast launches
202510
202602
202704
202806
202908
2030010
2031010
2032010
2033010
2034010
2035010
2036010
2037010
2038010
2039010
2040010
204101

Performance Specs

Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.

VariantOrbitCapacityAltitudeInclinationSource
Zhuque-3
LEO21,000 kgUnknownUnknownSpaceNews Zhuque-3 test flight report
Zhuque-3
LEO13,000 kg200 kmUnknownchinese_launch_vehicle_chart_normalized.xlsx (manual screenshot transcription; extraction date 2026-06-02 UTC)
Zhuque-3
LEO11,100 kg450 km

Recent Missions

Latest launched missions using variants in this family.

MissionVariantLaunch
Dummy payload
Zhuque-3
Dec 3, 2025

Forecasted Missions

Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.

MissionVariantAnnounced

No forecasted missions

No upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family.

Variants

Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.

VariantStagesMissionsStatus
Zhuque-3
Not stated1Active

Forecast Location Split

1 launch location represented.

YearLocationLaunchesConfidenceBasis
2026Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center235%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2027Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center435%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2028Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center640%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2029Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center840%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2030Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2031Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2032Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2033Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2034Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2035Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2036Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2037Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2038Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2039Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2040Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center1045%Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.
2041Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center125%Catalog-completeness placeholder for active Zhuque-3 family; not used by latest forecast capacity snapshot.
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2026 · 35% confidence
2

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2027 · 35% confidence
4

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2028 · 40% confidence
6

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2029 · 40% confidence
8

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2030 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Unknown
chinese_launch_vehicle_chart_normalized.xlsx (manual screenshot transcription; extraction date 2026-06-02 UTC)
Zhuque-3
LEO9,400 kgUnknownUnknownchinese_launch_vehicle_chart_normalized.xlsx (manual screenshot transcription; extraction date 2026-06-02 UTC)
Zhuque-3
SSO5,400 kg800 kmUnknownchinese_launch_vehicle_chart_normalized.xlsx (manual screenshot transcription; extraction date 2026-06-02 UTC)
Track
2031 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2032 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2033 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2034 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2035 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2036 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
2037 · 45% confidence
10

Manual 2026-06-06 review: Zhuque-3 is a reusable medium-lift family with published 2026 recovery/production plans; one launch per year is too low.

Mentions
333
All verified mentions of this launch vehicle family in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

Zhuque-3 completed its entry burn.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Dec 3, 2025Zhuque-3's TQ-12A engine exploded during landing burn. Entry burn completed.

A hybrid redundant distributed integrated electronic design has been achieved domestically for Zhuque-3.

Page10of17
CapabilityValue 3.0Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

Zhuque-3 reached a 142 by 1,402-kilometer orbit during its flight.

CapabilityValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

Zhuque-3's 'block one' version can lift 11,800 kilograms to low Earth orbit when expended.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.2Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

The Zhuque 3 launch met its announced deadline in late 2023.

PlanValue 3.5Dec 3, 2025The single most impressive thing about this inaugural launch is that they kept their deadline that they announced when they announced the Zhuque 3 in late 2023. This may as well be unheard of in recent private space launch globally.

The total height of Zhuque-3 is planned to be 76.6 meters in its 'block two' form.

PlanValue 3.2Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

Key technological breakthroughs for Zhuque-3 involve multi-disciplinary coupled design across propulsion, aerodynamics, flight control, and structural engineering.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.2Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 launched from Launch Area 96B at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:00 pm China Standard Time on December 3rd.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

LANDSPACE failed to recover Zhuque-3's first stage on its maiden launch.

GeneralValue 3.5Dec 3, 2025LANDSPACE failed to recover Zhuque-3's first stage on its maiden launch. But the launch was a success. The payload has been inserted into orbit! Congratulations 🎉

Zhuque-3 is expected to touchdown at T+08:30.

PlanValue 3.5Dec 3, 2025🚀 Zhuque-3 in about 1 hour Liftoff T+00:00 MECO (Main Engine Cutoff) T+02:09 Stage Separation T+02:14 Boostback Burn Fairing Sep T+05:24 Entry Burn T+06:11 (~46s) Landing Burn T+08:00 (~30s) Touchdown T+08:30

The Zhuque-3 first stage landing attempt failed.

PlanCapabilityGeneralValue 2.0Dec 3, 2025This is a spectacular view of the fiery, failed Zhuque-3 first stage landing attempt over the desert. https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5239754958311987

RSPACE built the Zhuque-3 VTVL hopper.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025I can't find evidence to confirm if RSPACE is involved in the current Zhuque-3, but they did build the Zhuque-3 VTVL hopper. Now, RSPACE has demonstrated the capacity to build 10m-diameter rocket bodies—larger than SpaceX's 9m Starship, while LANDSPACE does have the plan to build its own Starship-like heavy lifter around 2030.

Zhuque-3 will perform a boostback burn.

CapabilityValue 3.5Dec 3, 2025🚀 Zhuque-3 in about 1 hour Liftoff T+00:00 MECO (Main Engine Cutoff) T+02:09 Stage Separation T+02:14 Boostback Burn Fairing Sep T+05:24 Entry Burn T+06:11 (~46s) Landing Burn T+08:00 (~30s) Touchdown T+08:30

The 'block two' version of Zhuque-3 can lift 21,300 kilograms to low Earth orbit when expended.

CapabilityValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

Zhuque-3 is the first reusable liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle with a new overall design to achieve orbital flight in China.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.0Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

The entry burn for Zhuque-3 will begin at T+06:11 and last approximately 46 seconds.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025🚀 Zhuque-3 in about 1 hour Liftoff T+00:00 MECO (Main Engine Cutoff) T+02:09 Stage Separation T+02:14 Boostback Burn Fairing Sep T+05:24 Entry Burn T+06:11 (~46s) Landing Burn T+08:00 (~30s) Touchdown T+08:30

The Zhuque-3's first-stage aimed for a landing pad in Minqin County in Gansu province.

PlanValue 3.2Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

The Zhuque-3 first stage had a fiery descent during its landing attempt.

CapabilityPlanValue 1.8Dec 3, 2025This is a spectacular view of the fiery descent and failed landing attempt of the Zhuque-3 first stage. https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5239754958311987

Zhuque-3 achieved flight verification of high-precision reentry navigation, guidance, and control technology for reusable launch vehicles.

CapabilityValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025LandSpace Successfully Debuts Zhuque-3, Falls Barely Short of Landing [Zhuque-3 Y1]

Zhuque-3's TQ-12A engine exploded during the landing burn.

GeneralCapabilityValue 4.0Dec 3, 2025Zhuque-3's TQ-12A engine exploded during landing burn. Entry burn completed.