
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.