What are the differences between Zhuque-3 and Falcon 9?

On December 3, 2025, the "Zhuque-3" rocket, developed independently by Landspace, successfully achieved its maiden flight into orbit with its liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle, but the first-stage rocket recovery attempt did not meet expectations. In October of this year, the rocket attracted international attention after completing fueling integration and static ignition tests. Elon Musk commented that it has the potential for high performance, with some indicators possibly approaching or even surpassing the Falcon 9. Although both are two-stage configurations and use a first-stage vertical recovery scheme relying on engine retro-thrust for soft landing, there are still significant differences in system scale, propulsion system design, control algorithms, and recovery scenarios. First, the research and development entities and maiden flight times are different. The Falcon 9 is a product of the American company SpaceX, which completed its maiden flight in June 2010; while the Zhuque-3 comes from China's Landspace and had its maiden flight in December 2025. In terms of basic dimensions and weight, the Falcon 9 has a total height of 70 meters, taller than the Zhuque-3's 66.1 meters; however, the Zhuque-3 has a diameter of 4.5 meters, which is wider than the Falcon 9's 3.7 meters. In terms of launch weight, the Zhuque-3 at 560 tons is slightly heavier than the Falcon 9's 549 tons. Regarding structural materials and propulsion systems, the Falcon 9 uses a combination of aluminum-lithium alloy and composite materials for its structure, with propellants consisting of liquid oxygen paired with RP-1 kerosene; the Zhuque-3, on the other hand, uses stainless steel as its structural material, with a propellant combination of liquid oxygen and liquid methane. The engine models of the two rockets are also different: the Falcon 9 first stage uses 9 Merlin 1D engines, while the second stage has 1 Merlin Vacuum engine; the Zhuque-3 first stage is equipped with 9 TQ-12A engines, and the second stage has 1 TQ-15A engine. In terms of thrust, the Falcon 9 first stage has a single engine thrust of 845 kN, with a total first-stage thrust of about 7600 kN; the Zhuque-3 first stage has a single engine thrust of 838 kN, with a total first-stage thrust of 7542 kN. There are also differences in recovery methods and control systems; the Falcon 9 first stage is primarily recovered through land return/sea landing (with a focus on sea recovery), using a control system that combines grid fins, thrust vector control, and cold gas thrusters; the Zhuque-3 first stage adopts vertical recovery in the flight area, using a control system that combines grid fins, power vector control, and an auxiliary power system.