A total of 12 consumer-grade action cameras were installed on a rocket for the first time in the Zhuque-3 Y2 mission, documenting the real working conditions of key components in the whole process.
Chinese space engineers at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China successfully launched and recovered the Zhuque-3 on Wednesday.
The Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket blasted off at 07:35 (Beijing Time) from Dongfeng, successfully positioning the Honghu-03 satellite into its preset orbit.
The mission also included the first ever land-based recovery of the rocket's first stage, with scientists steering the rocket smoothly to its designated landing position at the recovery site.
The entire day-long mission was captured by 12 commercially-available cameras, rather than the industrial-grade cameras that had been used on previous missions.
"After the Zhuque-3 Y1 rocket returned from its mission last December, we discovered that the existing industrial cameras were limited in their ability to capture high-definition images. However, we were eager to use this design to record in high definition the operation of key components of the rocket, especially the first-stage grid fins and landing legs, throughout the flight," said Wang Yihui, a member of the Zhuque-3 operations team.
The commercial cameras on the rocket were programmed to turn on at regular intervals to shoot and store 4K high-definition original images for review after the recovery of the rocket.
"We hope that our action cameras can record a complete and clear picture of the rocket from launch to final recovery in higher definition, so that after the mission researchers can analyze and optimize subsequent launch operations," said Huang Yixiao, who works for the camera supplier.
Zhuque-3, developed by Chinese commercial aerospace company LandSpace, is approved by the China National Space Administration as a new-generation liquid oxygen-methane-powered rocket capable of low-cost, high-capacity and high-frequency launches.
Consumer cameras deployed on Zhuque-3 reusable rocket to monitor performance
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Thursday U.S. "economic terrorism" threatens global economy and the sovereignty of nations worldwide.
The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday "the most crushing economic operation ever taken" against any country providing a lifeline to Iran.
"This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," Trump posted on Truth Social, calling the move "an ECONOMIC D-DAY."
In response, Araghchi said on X that the so-called "Economic D-Day" is a diversion from Washington's own crisis: "unprecedented debt and surging interest costs."
"Doubling down on failed policies will only bring further defeat -- and enmity of Iranians. U.S. economic terrorism threatens global economy and sovereignty worldwide," he added.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending their war in the region on all fronts. Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on Monday, to reach a final agreement. However, the fate of the talks remains unclear following an escalation between the two countries last month.
Washington's anti-Tehran "economic operation" comes as Iran is already under U.S. unilateral sanctions and naval blockade.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Thursday that the United States is now further pressuring Iran under the label of an "economic war," which he views as an attempt to cover up Washington's previous failure.
Gharibabadi said in a social media post that while the United States claims Iran is "on the verge of collapse," it is reaching out to all its allies for help, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
To cover up its failure, the United States has to create an even bigger failure, Gharibabadi said, adding that the military war had failed to deliver results, and Washington was now calling the next defeat an "economic war."
Trump announced on social media Wednesday that the United States would launch "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country" against Iran.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has said the country will use more "devastating" weapons if a new war begins against it.
Following the 12-day and 40-day wars imposed against the country in June last year and late February by the United States and Israel, Iran has expanded its military capabilities, IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said in an interview with Iran's Defa Press news agency, which was published on Thursday.
"If another war begins, our weapons will definitely be different ... in terms of the generation of missiles' warheads, as well as their precision and range," Mohebbi said.
The spokesperson emphasized that Iran has never stopped its armaments production, adding, "The destruction power of the warheads used in the IRGC's (new) missiles is far greater than the models used in the previous wars."
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing the country's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region.
Iran's FM says U.S. "economic terrorism" threatens global economy, national sovereignty
