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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

The facility is the phase I reusable rocket industry base and will serve as the core manufacturing base for the Zhuque-3 rocket.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Mar 3, 2026Land Space starts producing rockets at their new factory at Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. via 无锡日报
Page3of17

The Zhuque-3 rocket model is planned to undergo recovery tests again in the second quarter of 2026.

PlanValue 3.0Mar 3, 2026Land Space starts producing rockets at their new factory at Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. via 无锡日报

Deployments of Qianfan spacecraft in 2026 are contracted to launch on providers including LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 and Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 and on state-owned launch solutions.

PlanRelationshipsValue 4.5Mar 2, 2026Brazil Approves Qianfan Constellation to Begin Providing Connectivity Services

Zhuque-3 conducted its maiden flight in December 2025 with an accurate but failed landing attempt of the first-stage booster.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

Zhuque-3’s second stage decayed into the South Pacific on January 30, 2026.

GeneralValue 4.0Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

Cai Guorui led a presentation about Zhuque-3 at the February 11, 2026 session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee under the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs.

GovernanceValue 1.2Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

Zhuque-3’s second stage demonstrated a 1,400-second coast and an engine relight during the December 2025 flight.

CapabilityValue 4.2Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

LandSpace plans a second Zhuque-3 flight and booster landing attempt in the second quarter of 2026 (April–June 2026).

PlanValue 4.3Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

LandSpace aims for the first reflights of Zhuque-3 first-stages in the fourth quarter of 2026 (October–December 2026).

PlanCapabilityGrowthValue 4.0Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

Zhuque-3 conducted pre-flight static fires in June 2025 and October 2025.

PlanValue 4.0Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

Production of launch vehicles for potentially three Zhuque-3 flights in 2026 is reported to be well underway with design changes from the December 2025 mission.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 20, 2026LandSpace Wants to Reuse Zhuque-3 Boosters by Years End

Fraunhofer FHR captured the TIRA radar image of the Chinese ZhuQue-3 upper stage at 10:30 local time.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Jan 30, 2026Sorry for yet another lapse in news coverage as I was busy lately, & the Chinese seem to be too w/ all planned late January launches all slipping far away. Let’s start w/ this radar image in the final hours of existence of the 1st @LandSpace_Tech ZQ-3 2nd stage before re-entry…

ZhuQue-3 has a 4.5-meter body diameter.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jan 30, 2026Here’s the same stage back in October for comparison (the stainless steel part):

The first stage of ZhuQue-3 includes an RCS system, grid fins, and landing legs to enable precise autonomous return, soft landing, and reuse.

CapabilityValue 4.2Jan 30, 2026Here’s the same stage back in October for comparison (the stainless steel part):

The second stage of the first Zhuque-3 rocket reentered over the Southern Ocean at 12:39 UTC (±1 minute) on January 30, 2026.

GeneralPlanValue 3.5Jan 30, 2026The second stage of the first Zhuque-3 rocket launched in December reentered at 1239 UTC today (±1 min) over the Southern Ocean, according to a US Space Force TIP message. There was a surprising level of interest in the event in Europe, due to ground tracks & reentry estimates.

The first stage of ZhuQue-3 is equipped with nine TianQue-12A LOX–methane engines.

CapabilityValue 4.6Jan 30, 2026Here’s the same stage back in October for comparison (the stainless steel part):

The US Space Force issued a TIP message about the reentry of the second stage of the first Zhuque-3 rocket.

GeneralLegalValue 4.0Jan 30, 2026The second stage of the first Zhuque-3 rocket launched in December reentered at 1239 UTC today (±1 min) over the Southern Ocean, according to a US Space Force TIP message. There was a surprising level of interest in the event in Europe, due to ground tracks & reentry estimates.

The first Zhuque-3 rocket launched in December 2025.

PlanValue 3.2Jan 30, 2026The second stage of the first Zhuque-3 rocket launched in December reentered at 1239 UTC today (±1 min) over the Southern Ocean, according to a US Space Force TIP message. There was a surprising level of interest in the event in Europe, due to ground tracks & reentry estimates.

ZhuQue-3 has a 5.2-meter payload fairing.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jan 30, 2026Here’s the same stage back in October for comparison (the stainless steel part):

The first stage of ZhuQue-3 is constructed primarily from stainless steel.

CapabilityValue 3.5Jan 30, 2026Here’s the same stage back in October for comparison (the stainless steel part):