China's Desperate Attempt to Copy SpaceX Rocket REUSE System, But...

China's Desperate Attempt to Copy SpaceX Rocket REUSE System, But...
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#greatspacex #elonmusk #spacex #nasa
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03:23 China’s Zhuque-3 landing
08:38 Net-catching system
10:49 Why can’t they beat SpaceX?

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China's Desperate Attempt to Copy SpaceX Rocket REUSE System, But...
For those familiar with Chinese aerospace, there's one major characteristic: many launches take place deep inside the mainland.
Like most of the world, China has traditionally relied on expendable rockets, meaning each launch can leave spent stages falling back toward populated areas.
That's one reason China is gradually moving some launch infrastructure toward coastal and island locations.
But rocket reusability is another major strategic step.
And the main character here is LandSpace's ZhuQue-3.
For those wondering, ZhuQue means "Vermilion Bird," one of the four sacred creatures in Chinese mythology.
As the name suggests, ZhuQue-3 is the third generation of the ZhuQue rocket family.
China's Desperate Attempt to Copy SpaceX Rocket REUSE System, But...
Last year, its predecessor, ZhuQue-2, made headlines by becoming the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit and deploy a payload.
With ZhuQue-3, LandSpace is taking the next major step: reusability.
Its first attempt took place on December 2, 2025, EST.
The rocket successfully reached orbit, but the booster failed to land.
That's why the second flight, shown at the beginning of this video, attracted so much attention.
The mission launched at 7:35 p.m. EST on August 18, or 7:35 a.m. local time on August 19.
Once again, the rocket reached orbit and deployed Hongqing Technology's Honghu-03 satellite.
But this time, LandSpace successfully landed the booster.
Let's take another look at the landing.
The sequence was relatively smooth.
After reaching the appropriate altitude, the engines ignited to rapidly slow and control the vehicle.
Initially, several engines appeared to be operating, before the outer engines shut down and a central engine continued the final deceleration.
The grid fins helped control the trajectory, while the landing legs deployed before touchdown.
China's Desperate Attempt to Copy SpaceX Rocket REUSE System, But...
The booster then landed within the designated landing zone.
However, the landing wasn't perfect.
A fire broke out around the engine section, forcing firefighting crews to move in immediately.
At its peak, the fire appeared quite intense, spreading toward the landing legs, with flames reaching a significant portion of the booster's height.
The damage even caused the vehicle to tilt as the landing-leg area was affected.
The exact cause hasn't been confirmed, but one possibility is that an engine was damaged during the landing burn, resulting in a propellant leak.
The leaked fuel could then have ignited and intensified the fire around the engine compartment.

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