The Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket was launched on August 19 from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone in northwestern China. The first stage of the rocket successfully achieved land recovery in accordance with the planned program, and the flight mission was smoothly completed.

This mission marks China's first successful recovery of the first stage of a reusable launch vehicle using a "landing leg method," indicating significant progress in China's reusable rocket technology.

The Zhuque-3 rocket is a new-generation, low-cost, high-payload capacity, high-frequency, reusable liquid oxygen-methane propelled rocket, with its project approved by the National Space Administration. This rocket adopts a single-core two-stage in-series structure, has an overall length of 66.1 meters, a first and second stage body diameter of 4.5 meters, and a payload fairing diameter of 5.2 meters.

According to the head of model development, the main structure of the rocket body uses stainless steel, and with an overall layout of "combustion tank on top, oxygen tank on bottom," it optimizes the flight center of gravity.

The first stage of the rocket is equipped with nine Tianque-12A liquid oxygen-methane engines, and the propulsion system is adjustable within a thrust range of 40% to 110%, allowing for vertical recovery and reuse after orbital insertion is completed.

Regarding satellite separation, the rocket tentatively adopts a proprietary stacked compression separation device and is exploring the introduction of a dual safety design to ensure the reliability of multiple satellite separations.

"Under normal circumstances, the cost of liquid oxygen-methane fuel accounts for 1-3% of the launch cost, and the cost of the rocket's first stage accounts for approximately 70% of the total rocket cost. The more times the rocket is reused, the lower the launch cost will be," said the head of model development. (Provided by/CGTN Japanese)