The rocket carrying China’s Tianwen-1 Mars rover is pictured February 2021 after liftoff in Wenchang, Hainan province, China. On Monday, Chinese company LandSpace executed a static-fire test with its 217-foot-tall Zhuque-3 rocket launcher on the way to its inaugural test flight expected at some point later this year. File Photo By EPA
Chinese space authorities reached a new milestone this week as they tested a reusable rocket that they hope to use to join the United States, Japan and other nations in the bid for space dominance.
On Monday, Chinese company LandSpace executed a static-fire test with its 217-foot-tall Zhuque-3 rocket launcher. The rocket is on the way to its inaugural test flight expected at some point later this year.
“The vehicle will next proceed with planned vertical integration rehearsal, before returning to the technical zone for inspection and maintenance in preparation for its upcoming orbital launch and first-stage recovery,” LandSpace officials wrote on social media.
The static-fire testing of the stainless steel space rocket is a common prelaunch trial in which the rocket remains anchored to the pad while its engines are fired.
The test took place in northwestern China’s Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone.
The Zhuque-3 can haul more than 40,000 pounds, which is about the same carrying power as the Falcon 9 produced by the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX. That rocket reportedly can carry a little more than 50,200 pounds.
The Chinese government revealed its intent nearly a decade ago to be a top 3 global aerospace power by 2030.
In July 2023, Beijing-based LandSpace’s 164-foot Zhuque-2 rocket lifted off from China’s Jiuquan launch complex in its first attempt at a methane-fueled rocket lift.
China launched its Tianwen-2 space mission in May to collect asteroid samples and conduct a main-belt comet study.
Less than a month later in April, the Chinese space agency sent three of its astronauts to Tiangong space station for six-month mission.
