Post by : Badri Ariffin

Chinese private space company LandSpace has successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket, marking a major milestone in China’s growing commercial space industry.

The successful landing makes LandSpace one of only a few private companies in the world to achieve a controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster, alongside SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The achievement could help China narrow the gap with the United States in reusable rocket technology, an area considered critical for reducing launch costs and increasing the frequency of space missions.

Zhuque-3 Completes Successful Booster Landing

The milestone was achieved on Wednesday, August 19, during LandSpace’s second attempt to recover the first stage of the Zhuque-3.

The 66.1-metre-long rocket launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwestern China. After completing its mission, the nine-engine first-stage booster returned to Earth and landed at a designated recovery site in Gansu province, about 390 kilometres southeast of the launch site.

The Zhuque-3 is a reusable stainless-steel rocket designed to compete in the growing commercial launch market. It is often compared with SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which has become one of the world's most frequently used reusable orbital rockets.

Why Reusable Rockets Matter

Recovering and reusing rocket boosters is considered one of the most important developments in modern spaceflight.

Traditional rockets are generally discarded after a launch, making every mission expensive. Reusable boosters can be inspected, refurbished and launched again, potentially reducing the cost of sending satellites and other payloads into orbit.

The technology could also allow commercial space companies to conduct launches more frequently, making space services more similar to the aviation industry.

Zhuque-3 Uses Stainless Steel and Methane

LandSpace says the Zhuque-3 has several design features aimed at lowering production and operating costs.

The rocket uses a stainless-steel structure, which the company says provides greater heat resistance and could reduce manufacturing costs compared with the aluminium-lithium alloy used in SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Zhuque-3 is also powered by methane and liquid oxygen. The combination can produce cleaner combustion than the liquid oxygen and kerosene propellant combination used by Falcon 9.

According to LandSpace, Zhuque-3 can carry up to 14.2 metric tons to low Earth orbit in a one-way configuration. For comparison, the Falcon 9 can carry about 22.8 metric tons to low Earth orbit.

LandSpace has designed the Zhuque-3 booster to potentially be reused up to 20 times.

China’s Fourth Orbital Booster Recovery Attempt

Wednesday’s success came after several attempts by Chinese rocket developers to master orbital-class booster recovery.

LandSpace first conducted a reusable rocket test in December 2025. Although the rocket successfully reached orbit, its first stage failed to complete a controlled landing.

China later attempted to recover the first stage of the state-developed Long March 12A, but that recovery attempt also failed.

In July 2026, China successfully tested an experimental booster recovery system using a net-capture method on a floating platform at sea.

The system used lightweight hooks to connect with steel cables on the recovery platform. Chinese authorities said the design could reduce the rocket’s structural weight and potentially improve payload capacity.

LandSpace’s latest achievement is different because the Zhuque-3 booster completed a ground-based, leg-assisted landing, making it a significant milestone for China's private commercial rocket sector.

LandSpace Plans Booster Reuse

LandSpace is now planning to take the next major step: flying a recovered Zhuque-3 booster again.

The company aims to reuse the successfully recovered first stage within the next six months. If successful, the second flight could demonstrate that the booster is not only capable of landing but can also be rapidly prepared for another mission.

LandSpace says this capability could provide the foundation for high-frequency and lower-cost commercial rocket launches.

LandSpace Targets Commercial Space Market

The successful landing also comes as LandSpace works to expand its business and raise additional investment.

The company is pursuing a listing on China's Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market and aims to raise around 7.5 billion yuan, or approximately $1.11 billion, through its initial public offering.

The funds are expected to support the development of reusable rocket technology and the expansion of commercial launch services.

LandSpace's updated IPO prospectus, submitted in June, indicated that the company aims to become profitable by 2029.

What This Means for China’s Space Industry

The successful Zhuque-3 landing represents an important step for China's private space industry.

SpaceX has demonstrated how reusable boosters can transform the economics of orbital launches, with Falcon 9 boosters being reused many times and the company conducting launches at a very high frequency.

LandSpace's achievement suggests that Chinese private rocket companies are making rapid progress in similar reusable launch technology.

If LandSpace can successfully reuse the recovered Zhuque-3 booster within the next six months, it could provide further evidence that China is moving closer to routine, reusable and lower-cost commercial space launches.

#Global News #China #Global Updates #World News