China’s Zhuque-3 Rocket Takes Big Step Towards Reusable Spaceflight! 🚀
Hey space fans! Have you ever dreamed of rockets that can be used over and over again, just like airplanes? Well, China’s commercial rocket company, LandSpace, is making that dream come true!
On Friday, they did something super exciting. They tested the big engines that will help their new rocket, called Zhuque-3 (pronounced “Zhu-chue”), blast off into space and then come back to Earth safely to be used again.
What’s So Cool About This Test?
The test was like a giant firework show! They ignited nine huge engines all at once, creating a total thrust (that’s the power to lift things up) of 7,542 kilonewtons. That’s a lot of power!
Imagine nine super-strong jet engines all firing together. This was the biggest and most automated engine test of its kind in China!
Why Does Reusable Matter?
Reusable rockets are like the superheroes of space travel. Instead of throwing away rockets after one use (which is expensive and wasteful), we can bring them back, check them out, fuel them up, and send them off again!
LandSpace says that the Zhuque-3 rocket’s first stage (the big part that helps it get off the ground) can be used at least 20 times! This could make space launches 80 to 90 percent cheaper. That means more satellites and missions can go to space without costing so much money.
What’s Next?
The big test brings the Zhuque-3 rocket one step closer to its first planned flight in 2025. Soon, we might see this rocket launching multiple satellites into space, helping scientists learn more about our universe.
Isn’t it awesome to think about rockets that can fly again and again? Maybe one day, some of you will build rockets or even travel to space yourselves! 🚀🌟
Reference(s):
China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 completes major engine cluster test
cgtn.com
