Zhuque-3 | Honghu-03 — what you saw in the sky & launch recap

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.

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Rocket: Zhuque-3
Provider: LandSpace
Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Status: Launch Successful

Liftoff time

Aug 18, 2026, 11:35 PM UTC
Aug 18, 2026, 7:35 PM Eastern
Aug 18, 2026, 4:35 PM Pacific

Visibility map: how far away could you see it?

Each ring shows how far away Zhuque-3 was line-of-sight visible that many seconds into flight: about 89 miles by T+30s, 192 miles by T+60s, and roughly 305 miles by T+90s. City dots are colored by the expected view quality; the table below has the direction to look from each.

Zhuque-3 | Honghu-03 visibility range: each ring marks how far away the rocket was above the horizon that many seconds after liftoff, out to about 305 miles at T+90s. Rings are line-of-sight geometry from a representative ascent profile, centered on the pad — the rocket also travels downrange, stretching views along its track, and night launches are often visible well beyond the outer ring. Assumes clear skies and an open horizon.

Which cities could see this launch?

Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff. The 10 most likely first:

City	Visibility	Look toward	Distance to pad
San Jose, CA	Not visible	—	6409 mi
Fresno, CA	Not visible	—	6503 mi
San Luis Obispo, CA	Not visible	—	6567 mi
Pismo Beach, CA	Not visible	—	6576 mi
Guadalupe, CA	Not visible	—	6588 mi
Santa Maria, CA	Not visible	—	6593 mi
Orcutt, CA	Not visible	—	6598 mi
Vandenberg Village, CA	Not visible	—	6606 mi
Bakersfield, CA	Not visible	—	6606 mi
Los Alamos, CA	Not visible	—	6610 mi

Show all 94 cities

City	Visibility	Look toward	Distance to pad
Lompoc, CA	Not visible	—	6611 mi
Buellton, CA	Not visible	—	6620 mi
Solvang, CA	Not visible	—	6622 mi
Santa Barbara, CA	Not visible	—	6645 mi
Mojave, CA	Not visible	—	6649 mi
Ventura, CA	Not visible	—	6666 mi
Oxnard, CA	Not visible	—	6673 mi
Thousand Oaks, CA	Not visible	—	6684 mi
Malibu, CA	Not visible	—	6696 mi
Pasadena, CA	Not visible	—	6704 mi
Los Angeles, CA	Not visible	—	6708 mi
Long Beach, CA	Not visible	—	6726 mi
San Diego, CA	Not visible	—	6818 mi
Philadelphia, PA	Not visible	—	6842 mi
Ocean City, NJ	Not visible	—	6886 mi
Baltimore, MD	Not visible	—	6891 mi
Dover, DE	Not visible	—	6897 mi
Cape May, NJ	Not visible	—	6911 mi
Annapolis, MD	Not visible	—	6912 mi
Washington, DC	Not visible	—	6919 mi
Rehoboth Beach, DE	Not visible	—	6926 mi
Ocean City, MD	Not visible	—	6953 mi
Salisbury, MD	Not visible	—	6953 mi
Berlin, MD	Not visible	—	6954 mi
Pocomoke City, MD	Not visible	—	6973 mi
Chincoteague, VA	Not visible	—	6982 mi
Wallops Island, VA	Not visible	—	6987 mi
Onancock, VA	Not visible	—	6998 mi
Exmore, VA	Not visible	—	7011 mi
Richmond, VA	Not visible	—	7014 mi
Cape Charles, VA	Not visible	—	7029 mi
Newport News, VA	Not visible	—	7043 mi
Virginia Beach, VA	Not visible	—	7058 mi
Norfolk, VA	Not visible	—	7059 mi
Myrtle Beach, SC	Not visible	—	7282 mi
Charleston, SC	Not visible	—	7345 mi
Hilton Head Island, SC	Not visible	—	7383 mi
Savannah, GA	Not visible	—	7392 mi
Brunswick, GA	Not visible	—	7456 mi
Valdosta, GA	Not visible	—	7474 mi
Pensacola Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7491 mi
Gulf Shores, AL	Not visible	—	7493 mi
Tallahassee, FL	Not visible	—	7498 mi
Jacksonville, FL	Not visible	—	7512 mi
Laredo, TX	Not visible	—	7542 mi
St. Augustine, FL	Not visible	—	7543 mi
Grand Isle, LA	Not visible	—	7545 mi
Rockport, TX	Not visible	—	7546 mi
Corpus Christi, TX	Not visible	—	7556 mi
Gainesville, FL	Not visible	—	7558 mi
Port Aransas, TX	Not visible	—	7559 mi
Palm Coast, FL	Not visible	—	7565 mi
Daytona Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7591 mi
New Smyrna Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7603 mi
Sanford, FL	Not visible	—	7619 mi
Mims, FL	Not visible	—	7629 mi
Titusville, FL	Not visible	—	7632 mi
Orlando, FL	Not visible	—	7637 mi
Port Canaveral, FL	Not visible	—	7646 mi
Merritt Island, FL	Not visible	—	7650 mi
McAllen, TX	Not visible	—	7650 mi
Rockledge, FL	Not visible	—	7651 mi
Cocoa Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7653 mi
Kissimmee, FL	Not visible	—	7654 mi
Harlingen, TX	Not visible	—	7659 mi
Satellite Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7662 mi
Bayview, TX	Not visible	—	7668 mi
Indialantic, FL	Not visible	—	7668 mi
Melbourne, FL	Not visible	—	7669 mi
Lakeland, FL	Not visible	—	7670 mi
Los Fresnos, TX	Not visible	—	7671 mi
Laguna Vista, TX	Not visible	—	7672 mi
Palm Bay, FL	Not visible	—	7673 mi
South Padre Island, TX	Not visible	—	7673 mi
Port Isabel, TX	Not visible	—	7675 mi
Tampa, FL	Not visible	—	7675 mi
Brownsville, TX	Not visible	—	7682 mi
Sebastian, FL	Not visible	—	7687 mi
Vero Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7700 mi
Fort Pierce, FL	Not visible	—	7713 mi
Port St. Lucie, FL	Not visible	—	7725 mi
West Palm Beach, FL	Not visible	—	7764 mi
Fort Lauderdale, FL	Not visible	—	7805 mi
Miami, FL	Not visible	—	7830 mi

Where to look

A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.

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Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated August 30, 2026.