Friday, October 24, 2025

ZQ-3: China test fires its first reusable heavy rocket

Good news! Competition is good, more competition is better!

"... The latest tests from October 18 to 20 included a full-scale propellant rehearsal and a static-fire test, marking the XQ-3's entry into final flight preparation, with the first flight slated for November or December 2025.

The ZQ-3 is a two-stage launcher that lifts off vertically and the first stage lands vertically. Standing about 216 ft (66 m) tall with a core diameter of 15 ft (4.5 m), it's very similar to Falcon 9, though with methane fuel instead of kerosene for the first stage, and is made of stainless steel rather than aluminum/lithium alloy. Though only slightly smaller than Falcon 9, its reported orbital payload is only about half of the American launcher. ..."

ZQ-3: China’s SpaceX Rival Completes First Static Fire "China showed off its ambitions for space in the 21st century as its first reusable heavy booster, the ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) Y1 from the Landspace company, conducted its first static firing at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China."






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