China achieves major rocket breakthrough
China has successfully recovered the first stage of a reusable rocket on land, marking a major milestone in the country’s expanding space programme.
The achievement was completed by LandSpace, a Chinese commercial aerospace company, during a flight of its Zhuque-3 rocket. The booster landed upright on its deployable legs after the rocket sent its upper stage towards orbit.
The successful recovery has moved China closer to developing rockets that can be used more than once. Reusable launch vehicles can reduce the cost of sending satellites and other payloads into space.
The mission also strengthened China’s position in the global commercial space race. LandSpace became the first Chinese private company to recover an orbital-class rocket booster on land.
Zhuque-3 booster lands safely
The Zhuque-3 rocket lifted off from a commercial space launch facility in northwestern China. After the rocket’s stages separated, the first-stage booster began its return journey to a designated landing site in Gansu province.
The booster adjusted its position during descent and reduced its speed before touching down vertically. Landing legs and grid fins helped guide the vehicle during the final phase of the flight.
The landing was completed autonomously. The booster travelled approximately 390 kilometres before it reached the recovery zone, according to reports.
The second stage successfully continued its mission and entered the planned orbit. This allowed the flight to demonstrate two important capabilities at the same time: delivering a payload towards orbit and recovering the rocket’s first stage.
The booster was recovered after an orbital launch rather than after a short test flight. That made the achievement more significant for China’s commercial launch industry.
Second recovery milestone in weeks
China’s land-based recovery came shortly after another important achievement at sea. In July, a different Chinese rocket stage was successfully caught in a net on a ship after launch.
The sea recovery involved the Long March-10B, operated by a state-owned aerospace corporation. The mission was described by Chinese authorities as the world’s first successful sea-based net recovery of an orbital rocket stage.
The two missions used different methods. The Long March-10B booster was captured by a net-equipped vessel, while LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 booster landed vertically on fixed ground using its own landing legs.
China has therefore demonstrated both sea-based and land-based recovery methods in a short period. It became the second country, after the United States, to achieve both types of orbital rocket recovery, according to Chinese state media.
LandSpace challenges global leaders
The breakthrough has placed LandSpace among a small group of private companies capable of recovering orbital-class boosters. SpaceX and Blue Origin in the United States have already developed reusable rocket systems.
SpaceX has used vertical booster landings as part of its Falcon 9 operations for several years. Blue Origin has also landed and reused its New Shepard vehicles, although those vehicles serve a different mission profile.
LandSpace’s success shows that China’s private aerospace sector is developing advanced launch technology. The company’s achievement could encourage more investment in commercial launch services and satellite deployment.
The Zhuque-3 is powered by liquid oxygen and methane. These propellants are considered suitable for modern reusable rockets because they can support efficient operations and cleaner engine performance than some traditional fuels.
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