Elon Musk Praises China’s Zhuque-3 Rocket: A Potential Challenger to SpaceX’s Falcon 9

On October 24, IT Home reported that Blue Arrow Aerospace’s reusable rocket, Zhuque-3, has successfully completed propellant loading rehearsal and static fire testing this week. The mission now enters the critical phase of first-launch preparations, paving the way for its official orbital flight and first-stage recovery later this year.

The news quickly spread overseas, drawing attention from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who commented:
“They’ve incorporated some of Starship’s design concepts into the Falcon 9 architecture—such as using stainless steel and liquid oxygen methane—which could allow it to surpass Falcon 9. But Starship itself is in a different league.”

Zhuque-3 represents a major leap in China’s commercial space industry. It is a large liquid oxygen–methane rocket designed with a reusable first stage and developed independently to serve the nation’s expanding satellite constellation missions. With a liftoff mass of around 570 tons, a length of approximately 66 meters, and a payload capacity of at least 18.3 tons, Zhuque-3 is engineered for high-frequency satellite launches, large-scale communication satellite deployment, and various spacecraft missions.

Blue Arrow Aerospace stated that the next step will involve vertical operation drills, followed by a return to the technical zone for final preparations ahead of the maiden orbital launch and stage-one recovery—marking another milestone in China’s push toward sustainable, cost-efficient space exploration.