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Space
Space
Science
Brett Tingley

China's 1st reusable rocket explodes in dramatic fireball during landing after reaching orbit on debut flight

A white rocket lifts off above a cloud of dust and smoke in the desert.

The first test flight of Landspace's Zhuque-3 rocket ended in a fiery explosion after successfully reaching orbit.

Chinese company Landspace launched its 216-foot (66-meter) stainless steel Zhuque-3 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert in northern China on Tuesday (Dec. 2). The reusable, methane-liquid-oxygen-powered rocket successfully placed its expendable second stage in orbit, according to a statement from Landspace.

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