Cosmic Penguin
@cosmicpenguinov103.bsky.social
Astronomy & spaceflight weeb penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Starship x Space Launch System shipper. Chinese spaceflight news hunter.
Just for the sake of asking, does your satellite photo also manage to capture the Long March 12A pad roughly 4 kilometers southwest of the ZQ-3 pad, at approximately 40.89154° N 100.21739° E? It would be great to see how this freshly completed pad to be used within this month look like.
December 4, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Just for the sake of asking, does your satellite photo also manage to capture the Long March 12A pad roughly 4 kilometers southwest of the ZQ-3 pad, at approximately 40.89154° N 100.21739° E? It would be great to see how this freshly completed pad to be used within this month look like.
ZQ-3 seen from satellite passing over JSLC a day before launch:
A very high resolution satellite image of Landspace's Zhuque-3 rocket on its launch pad the day before it launched.
Captured 2025-12-02 04:27:10 UTC.
Captured 2025-12-02 04:27:10 UTC.
December 4, 2025 at 1:33 AM
ZQ-3 seen from satellite passing over JSLC a day before launch:
Conveniently located debris field: x.com/raz_liu/stat...
Ace of Razgriz on X: "Looks like a minor damage of the landing pad & road. It seems the impact point is just located between the pad and road. https://t.co/ZzWxwRUMAs" / X
Looks like a minor damage of the landing pad & road. It seems the impact point is just located between the pad and road. https://t.co/ZzWxwRUMAs
x.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Conveniently located debris field: x.com/raz_liu/stat...
View from the pad tower: x.com/thebestkirin...
December 3, 2025 at 11:33 PM
View from the pad tower: x.com/thebestkirin...
USSF SpaceTrack has now found the ZQ-3 2nd stage - it looks like the 2nd burn moved it to an eccentric orbit that has a high apogee, but has a low enough perigee for it to re-enter soon:
2025-282A/66877: 142 x 1402 km x 56.95°
2025-282A/66877: 142 x 1402 km x 56.95°
December 3, 2025 at 3:44 PM
USSF SpaceTrack has now found the ZQ-3 2nd stage - it looks like the 2nd burn moved it to an eccentric orbit that has a high apogee, but has a low enough perigee for it to re-enter soon:
2025-282A/66877: 142 x 1402 km x 56.95°
2025-282A/66877: 142 x 1402 km x 56.95°
LOL @djiglobal.bsky.social is using this launch to advertise their latest UAV... m.weibo.cn/detail/52398...
December 3, 2025 at 2:18 PM
LOL @djiglobal.bsky.social is using this launch to advertise their latest UAV... m.weibo.cn/detail/52398...
The planned launch timeline, now official: x.com/LandSpace_Te...
December 3, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The planned launch timeline, now official: x.com/LandSpace_Te...
OK T-0 was 04:00 UTC after all: x.com/LandSpace_Te...
LandSpace on X: "ZhuQue-3 Y1 Reusable Launch Vehicle Successfully Completes Orbital Mission On December 3, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (UTC+8), ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) Y1 launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone, successfully completing its flight mission with successfully https://t.co/g0Knbu7AOo" / X
ZhuQue-3 Y1 Reusable Launch Vehicle Successfully Completes Orbital Mission On December 3, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (UTC+8), ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) Y1 launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone, successfully completing its flight mission with successfully https://t.co/g0Knbu7AOo
x.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:40 PM
OK T-0 was 04:00 UTC after all: x.com/LandSpace_Te...
Mission overview from LandSpace - some sharp-eyed Chinese spaceflight fan noticed the blurred out velocity-altitude diagram and has some interesting observations on the booster recovery trajectory, which I'm going to translate soon.
December 3, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Mission overview from LandSpace - some sharp-eyed Chinese spaceflight fan noticed the blurred out velocity-altitude diagram and has some interesting observations on the booster recovery trajectory, which I'm going to translate soon.
Almost feels like the whole A-Team of rocket photographers across China are in Jiuquan SLC for this launch: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
December 3, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Almost feels like the whole A-Team of rocket photographers across China are in Jiuquan SLC for this launch: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
9 methane/LOX powered gas-generator cycle TQ-12A engines thrusting this stainless steel rocket towards orbit:
December 3, 2025 at 7:34 AM
9 methane/LOX powered gas-generator cycle TQ-12A engines thrusting this stainless steel rocket towards orbit:
ZQ-3 liftoff time sequence from m.weibo.cn/detail/52397... :
December 3, 2025 at 7:34 AM
ZQ-3 liftoff time sequence from m.weibo.cn/detail/52397... :
More photos from SpaceLens, which got excellent front seats for their cameras: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
December 3, 2025 at 7:29 AM
More photos from SpaceLens, which got excellent front seats for their cameras: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
More photos:
December 3, 2025 at 7:05 AM
More photos:
Pre-launch processing and testing of the first ZQ-3 flight vehicle:
December 3, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Pre-launch processing and testing of the first ZQ-3 flight vehicle:
BTW for the record of @planet4589.bsky.social etc. it seems exact liftoff time was 04:02:20 UTC; unfortunately neither Xinhua nor LandSpace themselves' articles have listed a launch time. x.com/raz_liu/stat...
Ace of Razgriz on X: "Confirmed lift off at 120220" / X
Confirmed lift off at 120220
x.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:54 AM
BTW for the record of @planet4589.bsky.social etc. it seems exact liftoff time was 04:02:20 UTC; unfortunately neither Xinhua nor LandSpace themselves' articles have listed a launch time. x.com/raz_liu/stat...
ZQ-3 pre-launch:
December 3, 2025 at 6:50 AM
ZQ-3 pre-launch:
And finally, pad cameras from LandSpace!
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
December 3, 2025 at 6:49 AM
And finally, pad cameras from LandSpace!
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
Official LandSpace press release is here - they specifically confirmed that the 2nd stage successfully completed its re-ignition & 2nd burn: mp.weixin.qq.com/s/l0HitsBfMN...
朱雀三号重复使用遥一运载火箭入轨圆满成功
2025年12月3日，朱雀三号遥一运载火箭入轨圆满成功。
mp.weixin.qq.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Official LandSpace press release is here - they specifically confirmed that the 2nd stage successfully completed its re-ignition & 2nd burn: mp.weixin.qq.com/s/l0HitsBfMN...
First official launch photos:
December 3, 2025 at 6:17 AM
First official launch photos:
State media has confirmed the outcomes as posted above (m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...), though LandSpace themselves still hasn't posted their official update.
Meanwhile here's the launch from another spectator's angle: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
Meanwhile here's the launch from another spectator's angle: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
December 3, 2025 at 6:02 AM
State media has confirmed the outcomes as posted above (m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...), though LandSpace themselves still hasn't posted their official update.
Meanwhile here's the launch from another spectator's angle: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
Meanwhile here's the launch from another spectator's angle: m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
...and the video you all are waiting for: birds-eye view of the ZQ-3 first stage's botched landing burn. It was *that* close you know, getting further than the first New Glenn booster did and around where SpaceX were for Falcon 9 in late 2014-early 2015!
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
December 3, 2025 at 5:27 AM
...and the video you all are waiting for: birds-eye view of the ZQ-3 first stage's botched landing burn. It was *that* close you know, getting further than the first New Glenn booster did and around where SpaceX were for Falcon 9 in late 2014-early 2015!
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...
m.weibo.cn/detail/52397...