LandSpaceZhuque-3Launch Area 96B, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Honghu-03
Launched
August 18, 2026 · 23:35 UTC
Image: LandSpace
Summary
LandSpace’s second Zhuque-3 test flight successfully delivered a prototype LEO communication satellite for Hongqing Technology and marked the first orbital booster recovery by a Chinese private launch provider.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Zhuque-3 · LandSpace
- Booster
- ZQ-3 F2 · flight 1 · Vertical Landing at Zhuque-3 Landing Site · landed1/2 landed here · 390 km downrange
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Zhuque-3 flight · 1st this yearLandSpace's 11th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 7,369th orbital launch attempt196th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
HONGHU 3 · NORAD 100370 · 2026-189A · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- HONGHU 3
- Object ID
- 2026-189A
- Epoch
- 2026-09-16 00:16:57 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.29654456 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00594571
- Inclination
- 55.0077°
- Ascending node
- 153.9776°
- Arg. of perigee
- 226.0314°
- Mean anomaly
- 133.5798°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 530
- B*
- 0.00045453108
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile. Booster return drawn from padside's representative arc.
About this launch
Honghu-03 launched on a LandSpace Zhuque-3 from Launch Area 96B, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on August 18, 2026 at 23:35 UTC. The launch window ran from 23:27 to 00:04 UTC. It was LandSpace's 11th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 7,369th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Zhuque-3 flight and the 1st this year. Booster ZQ-3 F2 flew for the 1st time and landed at Zhuque-3 Landing Site. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 410 × 531 km orbit inclined 55.0°.
Note: Second test launch of LandSpace’s ZQ-3 rocket and first ever successful orbital launch vehicle booster recovery by a Chinese private launch service provider. Prototype LEO communication satellite for LandSpace's subsidiary Hongqing Technology.
News
LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 topples following milestone landingLandSpace achieved a major milestone for Chinese commercial rocketry this week when the first stage…
Landspace aims to refly recovered Zhuque-3 booster within six monthsHELSINKI — Chinese commercial launch firm Landspace is targeting a reflight of its Zhuque-3 first stage in months, following its historic successful vertical landing Aug. 18. A company representative told […]
LandSpace becomes first commercial Chinese company to land an orbital-class boosterThe August 19 landing of its ZhuQue-3 rocket marked the first landing of a Chinese-made rocket using landing legs as well.
LandSpace Scores First Booster LandingThe commercial company LandSpace safely landed the first stage booster of their Zhuque-3 rocket on August 19th.
Zhuque-3 Completes Second Flight with Successful First-Stage LandingZhuque-3’s second flight marked a major milestone for LandSpace as the methalox rocket lifted off…
China’s Landspace recovers booster with second orbital launch of Zhuque-3 rocketHELSINKI — Landspace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket Tuesday following the second launch of the rocket from the Gobi Desert. The second Zhuque-3 rocket lifted off […]
Launch Preview: Chang’e 7 headlines week of Chinese and Starlink launchesAfter last week’s Chang Zheng 7A launch failure, China returns to action with the high-profile…
Amid failure, Wenchang celebrates milestone as China launches AI satellites and prepares for lunar south pole missionChina’s Wenchang Space Launch Site reached its milestone 50th launch at the end of July,…
Pad
Launch Area 96B, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
2nd launch from Launch Area 96B, 1st this year · 293rd from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: Aug 19, 7:35 AM GMT+8, in daylight
2 launches from this pad · 299 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
258 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 5 earlier updates
Liftoff and confirmed successful 1st stage booster landing.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/18/2026 · source
Rescheduled for NET August 18 UTC per new NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/14/2026 · source
Launch delayed per cancellation of NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/10/2026 · source
NET August 10 UTC per NOTAMs; Assignment of this launch to the launch within this launch window is uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/5/2026 · source
Added launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/10/2026 · source
Questions
When did Honghu-03 launch?
Honghu-03 launched on August 18, 2026 at 23:35 UTC. The launch window ran from 23:27 to 00:04 UTC.
Where can I watch Honghu-03?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Honghu-03?
Zhuque-3, flown by LandSpace. Zhuque-3 spec sheet
Where did Honghu-03 launch from?
Launch Area 96B, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was Aug 19, 7:35 AM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster ZQ-3 F2 flew for the 1st time and landed at Zhuque-3 Landing Site.
What orbit did Honghu-03 reach?
It reached a 410 × 531 km orbit inclined 55.0°.