Honghu-03

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Communications

Low Earth Orbit Launch Area 96B Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
ZQ-3 F2 - Zhuque-3 Landing Site

Note: Second test launch of LandSpace’s ZQ-3 rocket and first ever successful orbital launch vehicle booster recovery by a Chinese private launch service provider. Prototype LEO communication satellite for LandSpace's subsidiary Hongqing Technology.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 19, 2026, 12:38 a.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 18, 2026, 11:56 p.m.

Liftoff and confirmed successful 1st stage booster landing.


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 14, 2026, 1:42 p.m.

Rescheduled for NET August 18 UTC per new NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 10, 2026, 5:52 p.m.

Launch delayed per cancellation of NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 5, 2026, 8:14 a.m.

NET August 10 UTC per NOTAMs; Assignment of this launch to the launch within this launch window is uncertain.


Zhuque-3

Family:
Configuration:

Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) is a reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by Chinese private company LandSpace. The rocket is built using stainless steel and shares the same series of gas generator cycle methane/liquid oxygen powered rocket engines as in the currently active ZQ-2E rocket. The first stage uses 9 TQ-12 engines (initially the TQ-12A, then upgraded TQ-12B) while the second stage uses 1 TQ-15 engine (TQ-15A, then TQ-15B). On launch missions where the first stage is recovered, it will land on a down-range landing pad located in Minqin County, Gansu Province.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    76.6 m
  • Diameter
    4.5 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    660.0 T
  • Thrust
    9000.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Zhuque-3
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
    ZQ-3
  • Full Name
    Zhuque-3
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    21300.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Booster Info


ZQ-3 F2

Status: Lost


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No
First Flight: August 18, 2026
Last Flight: August 18, 2026
Flights: 1
Landings Attempted: 1
Landings Successful: 1

Landing Information

The Zhuque-3 first stage booster has successfully landed on its downrange landing pad, however it was damaged after tipped over due to post-landing fire induced landing leg failure.

Result: Successful Vertical Landing landing at Zhuque-3 Landing Site.

LandSpace

LandSpace

(LS)

Founder: Zhang Changwu Founded: 2015 Successes: 8 Failures: 3 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

LandSpace is a Chinese private space launch company based in Beijing. It was founded in 2015 by Tsinghua University alumni Zhang Changwu.

WIKI

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 96B


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