BEIJING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- 西瓜视频launched a reusable carrier rocket on Wednesday from northwest China. The second stage of this rocket managed to enter the designated orbit, but recovery of its first stage failed.
The Zhuque-3 rocket blasted off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone.
Its first-stage booster suffered anomalous combustion during recovery, failing to achieve a soft touchdown on the landing pad. The recovery test was unsuccessful, and the specific cause is under investigation.
Zhuque-3 is a liquid oxygen-methane-powered rocket engineered for low cost, high capacity and frequent launches, according to LandSpace, its designer.
This mission validated Zhuque-3's end-to-end design and system compatibility, captured critical in-flight data, and laid a foundation for operational launches and stage recovery in the future, the Beijing-based rocket manufacturer said. ■