Elon Musk Admits China’s Zhuque-3 Surpasses Falcon 9 in Next-Gen Rocket Technology

In a surprising admission, Elon Musk has acknowledged that China is on the verge of launching the Zhuque-3 rocket, a fully stainless steel, LOX/methane-powered launch vehicle that, according to early data, already outperforms SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on several critical performance metrics. This historic moment marks humanity’s first commercial mission using a stainless-steel, methane-fueled rocket, symbolizing a new era in reusable launch vehicle technology.

A Bold New Challenger from China

Developed by LandSpace, one of China’s leading private aerospace firms, Zhuque-3 represents the nation’s most ambitious step toward competing directly with SpaceX. The vehicle is constructed entirely from stainless steel, an approach pioneered by SpaceX’s Starship program but not yet flown commercially. Its LOX-methane propulsion system—powered by the Tianque-12 engines—offers cleaner combustion, higher efficiency, and easier reusability than traditional RP-1 kerosene systems.

When Musk commented on the development, he reportedly praised the achievement, calling it “a strong step forward for the global space industry,” emphasizing that China’s engineers have achieved remarkable progress in reusable launch technology within a very short period.

Technical Overview of Zhuque-3

• Height: ~76 meters

• Diameter: 4.5 meters

• Liftoff Mass: ~660 tonnes

• Propellant: Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Methane (CH₄)

• Engines: 9 × Tianque-12 on the first stage (each ~80 tonnes thrust)

• Reusable: Both first stage and fairings are designed for recovery and reuse

• Payload to LEO: Up to 21.3 tonnes (reusable mode), 30+ tonnes (expendable mode)

The rocket’s full stainless-steel body allows for better thermal protection, structural strength, and resistance to cryogenic temperatures, crucial for methane storage. Unlike aluminum-lithium or carbon composite designs, stainless steel withstands the thermal stresses of reentry, simplifying reuse and reducing turnaround time.

How Zhuque-3 Outperforms Falcon 9

While SpaceX’s Falcon 9 remains the global benchmark for reusable rockets, Zhuque-3 has reportedly surpassed it in several measurable aspects:

1. Higher Payload Capacity in Reusable Mode
   Zhuque-3’s 21.3-tonne reusable payload capacity to low Earth orbit exceeds Falcon 9’s 15.6 tonnes, giving it a ~36% performance edge while maintaining reusability.

2. Improved Propellant Efficiency
   The shift to methane (CH₄) instead of kerosene (RP-1) delivers cleaner burns and reduces engine residue, meaning less refurbishment time between flights. This could allow for faster launch cadence and lower maintenance costs.

3. Superior Structural Durability
   The stainless-steel fuselage provides better heat resistance than Falcon 9’s aluminum alloy skin, making re-entry heating less destructive. This enables higher reusability rates and potentially more flight cycles per booster.

4. Reduced Manufacturing Costs
   Stainless steel is cheaper and easier to weld compared to aerospace-grade composites or alloys used by Falcon 9. With China’s industrial scale, production costs are expected to be significantly lower, enhancing commercial competitiveness.

5. Next-Generation Engine Performance
   The Tianque-12 engines reportedly achieve specific impulses exceeding 350 seconds in vacuum, surpassing Falcon 9’s Merlin engines (311 s), indicating a higher efficiency per kilogram of propellant.

Zhuque-3 vs Falcon 9: Comparison Table

A Milestone for Methane Propulsion

The Zhuque-3’s debut marks the first time in history that a commercial stainless-steel, methane-fueled rocket has reached the launchpad. Methane, long considered the “fuel of the future,” burns cleaner than kerosene and simplifies engine reusability — an approach SpaceX is also pursuing with its upcoming Starship/Super Heavy system.

If successful, Zhuque-3 could become the first operational methane rocket to reach orbit and return, beating SpaceX’s Starship to a key technological milestone.

Implications for the Global Space Race

LandSpace’s achievement is not just a technical breakthrough but a strategic signal. It underscores China’s growing ability to match and even exceed Western private-sector innovation in commercial rocketry. With Zhuque-3, China enters a new phase of reusable launch economics, aiming to lower cost per kilogram to orbit to below $2,000, rivaling SpaceX’s most efficient figures.

Moreover, it positions LandSpace as a potential global launch provider, appealing to nations and commercial clients seeking cost-effective alternatives to Western launch systems.

Elon Musk’s acknowledgment of China’s Zhuque-3 rocket is not merely an admission of competition—it’s a recognition of a turning point in global aerospace. The emergence of a stainless-steel, methane-fueled, reusable rocket capable of outperforming Falcon 9 signals that the commercial space frontier is no longer dominated by one nation or one company.

With Zhuque-3, humanity takes another step forward—toward cleaner, stronger, and more reusable spaceflight, heralding the dawn of a new generation of rockets where innovation truly knows no borders.