Overview
- Chinese aviation notices indicate a Zhuque‑3 launch opportunity late Nov. 28 to early Nov. 29 UTC, with a mapped downrange landing zone about 390 km southeast of Jiuquan in Minqin county.
- Landspace’s two‑stage, methane‑fueled Zhuque‑3 stands about 66 meters tall with nine first‑stage engines, following pad fueling drills and a full‑duration static fire in October.
- The attempt would mark China’s first orbital launch followed by a booster landing, as state contractor CASC prepares a separate Long March 12A recovery attempt targeting December.
- Long March 12A, Zhuque‑3 and Space Pioneer’s Tianlong‑3 are all at Jiuquan, and Tianlong‑3 is not expected to attempt recovery on its debut flight.
- Zhuque‑3 is expected to carry a prototype Haolong cargo spacecraft, and the new partially reusable rockets are intended to speed deployment of national internet megaconstellations.