The world successfully launched 315 rockets in 2025, while China launched 90. Globally, there were 10 unsuccessful launches in 2025.
China's Space Program Thread II
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
【Zhuque-3 Y2 Reusable Carrier Rocket Completes Static Fire Test】
On June 29, 2026, LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable Y2 carrier rocket successfully completed a static fire test at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area.
The test comprehensively verified the rocket systems, the launch site systems, and their compatibility. All systems operated normally, and the test data and results met expectations, confirming the correctness and coordination of system operations and laying a solid foundation for the upcoming flight mission.
To date, all critical pre-launch ground verification work for the Zhuque-3 reusable Y2 carrier rocket has been completed. Going forward, the test team will carry out launch preparations according to the established plan, making full preparations for the flight test mission.
seems to be placed in a highly customized elliptical orbit with a perigee argument of 171° (Russians use >270° for their molniya networks) that causes it to dwell south of the equator rather than over the Northern hemisphere. This trajectory is not designed for comms or missile warning but rather to scan the entire GEO belt over a three week period.
Interesting cross-sectional view of GEO assets along its orbital path...
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Following the delivery of the new version of LandSpace's prospectus, the company's IPO process at the Shanghai STAR market is not suspended anymore; the IPO may happen during Q3; one information from the new prospectus is that post-flight analysis determined that the expendable payload of the Zhuque 3 Y1 to a 200km orbit was 14.2t; 0.4t above the pre-flight estimate.
The 110-ton-class liquid oxygen-kerosene engine Kinecore-2, developed by Chinese private aerospace company CAS Space, has successfully passed a long-duration qualification test, verifying its operational reliability as the main engine of the reusable Kinetica-2 Launcher, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.
