China's LandSpace Lands Reusable Rocket Booster for the First Time, Joining SpaceX and Blue Origin in Vertical Landing Club

Chinese startup LandSpace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on August 19, becoming the first private Chinese company to achieve a controlled vertical booster recovery. The 66-meter rocket launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone and its nine-engine first stage performed a powered descent, touching down upright in Minqin County, Gansu province.

Key Takeaways

Chinese startup LandSpace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on August 19, becoming the first private Chinese company to achieve a controlled vertical booster recovery.
The 66-meter rocket launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone and its nine-engine first stage performed a powered descent, touching down upright in Minqin County, Gansu province.

AI synthesis4 sources6

Chinese aerospace startup LandSpace achieved a historic milestone on August 19 when it successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 reusable rocket, becoming the first private Chinese company to recover a booster through a controlled vertical landing.

The 66.1-meter (216-foot) Zhuque-3 lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwestern China at 7:35 a.m. local time. Approximately 2 minutes and 20 seconds after liftoff, the first and second stages separated. The nine-engine first stage then performed a powered descent, deploying four landing legs and touching down upright in Minqin County, Gansu province.

The achievement places LandSpace in a select group of companies worldwide that have demonstrated reusable rocket technology. SpaceX has been landing and reflying its Falcon 9 first stages since 2015, and Blue Origin has repeatedly landed its New Shepard booster. But no Chinese private company had previously accomplished a controlled vertical booster recovery.

LandSpace is one of China's leading commercial launch companies, competing in a rapidly growing private space sector that has produced dozens of startups since the government opened the industry to private investment in 2014. The company had previously attempted a booster landing with its earlier Zhuque-2 rocket but was unsuccessful.

The Zhuque-3 is designed to be fully reusable, with both its first stage and upper stage intended for recovery and reflights. The rocket uses methane-fueled engines, similar to SpaceX's Raptor engines on Starship, which are considered advantageous for reusability due to their cleaner combustion.

The landing came at a significant moment for China's space program, which has been steadily closing the gap with the United States in both government-led and commercial space activities. China has conducted more orbital launches than any other country except the United States in recent years, and its commercial launch sector is expanding rapidly.

The successful recovery was confirmed by Chinese state media, including CCTV News, which published video footage of the booster standing upright on the landing pad immediately after touchdown.