On February 25, 2026, Blue Arrow Aerospace announced that the Zhuque III reusable carrier rocket was scheduled to conduct another recovery test in the second quarter of 2026, and based on the results of the recovery test, it aims to attempt its first recovery and reuse flight in the fourth quarter.

This news was disclosed during the 63rd session of the Science and Technology Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The representative of China's commercial aerospace enterprise, Blue Arrow Aerospace, gave a special technical report, systematically introducing the first flight mission of the Zhuque-3 reusable carrier rocket and the first stage recovery test.

The Zhuque-3 carrier rocket is a reusable liquid oxygen methane carrier rocket independently developed by Blue Arrow Aerospace. The first stage of the rocket is equipped with a reaction control system, grid rudder, and landing legs, which can perform vertical return, recovery, and reuse after completing orbital launch.

On December 3, 2025, the Zhuque-3 carrier rocket made its maiden flight at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Experimental Zone. The second stage of the rocket successfully entered orbit, and the first stage of the rocket carried out recovery verification. However, abnormal combustion occurred during the recovery process, and a soft landing on the recovery site was not achieved. The debris landed on the edge of the recovery site.

This is China's first attempt to recover a sub stage of an orbital stage carrier rocket. Although the predetermined recovery target was not achieved, key engineering data under the real flight state of the rocket was obtained, laying an important foundation for subsequent launch services and reliable recovery and reuse of sub stages. Keywords: New Developments, Latest News

According to Blue Arrow Aerospace, the company is optimizing the rocket landing process based on the first flight data and plans to conduct another Zhuque-3 carrier rocket recovery test in the second quarter of 2026. If everything goes smoothly, the first attempt at recycling and reusing rockets will be made in the fourth quarter, marking a new stage for China's reusable rocket technology.Editor/Gao Xue