China’s reusable carrier rocket has failed to complete its maiden test.
The “second stage” of the Zhuque-3 Y1 rocket entered the designated orbit, but the recovery of its first stage failed,” state-run Xinhua News reported on Wednesday .
Produced by Beijing-based commercial aerospace company LandSpace, the methane-fueled launch vehicle failed to achieve the planned soft landing during its first-stage recovery test.
It suffered an “abnormal combustion” which occurred during descent, according to LandSpace.
“The anomaly occurred during the recovery verification test and prevented the booster from touching down on the designated pad. The cause of the abnormal combustion is under investigation,” it added, according to Shanghai Daily.
Developers had launched the rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone around noon, local time, on Wednesday.
So far, only two US-based space companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, have successfully tested a reusable rocket.
