Overview
- Blue Arrow launched the Zhuque-3 from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone on Dec. 3, and the second stage achieved its planned orbit.
- The first stage attempted a vertical return but suffered an anomaly after ignition for landing, failed to soft-land, and came down near the edge of the recovery field.
- The company says the cause of the recovery failure is under investigation following the initial data indicating an issue during the landing burn phase.
- Blue Arrow highlights advances including a nine-engine LOX–methane cluster, high-precision return guidance and control, laser-welded high-strength stainless-steel propellant tanks, and a distributed avionics architecture.
- The two-stage, single-core rocket uses Tianque-series engines, targets at least 20 reuses for the first stage, and is designed to deliver no less than 18 tons to low Earth orbit in downrange recovery mode.