Ankara: Chinese private space company LandSpace announced on Monday that it has successfully completed a static fire test of its Zhuque-3 rocket. This development signifies another important step in China's efforts to enhance its commercial launch capabilities and establish a presence in the growing market for reusable rockets.

According to Anadolu Agency, the test was conducted at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone located in the Gobi Desert in northwest China. LandSpace reported that all systems functioned as expected, and the coordination between ground and rocket met the anticipated performance standards. The Zhuque-3 rocket is designed to return its first-stage booster to Earth for a vertical landing, allowing for reuse, which aims to reduce launch costs and increase the frequency of flights.

The Zhuque-3 is a methane-fueled launch vehicle intended for orbital missions and large-scale satellite deployments. It is capable of carrying up to 11.8 metric tons to low Earth orbit when in expendable mode. Although the rocket completed its maiden flight in December 2025 and successfully reached orbit, the recovery of its first-stage booster was unsuccessful due to an anomaly during its landing phase.

The Zhuque-3 rocket is expected to play a pivotal role in supporting China's planned Guowang national internet satellite constellation and other large-scale orbital networks. In addition to the Zhuque-3, China is also developing several other reusable rocket systems, including the state-owned Long March-12A and the Tianlong-3 from private company Space Pioneer, as part of a broader initiative to expand commercial space launch capabilities.

Across the industry, reusable rockets are increasingly recognized as crucial for meeting the rising demand from satellite megaconstellations and for reducing the costs associated with accessing space.