China Recovers Rocket Stage on Land for First Time, After Earlier Recovery at Sea
- On Wednesday, China successfully launched the Zhuque-3 Y-2 rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone, recovering the first stage on land in Minqin County, Gansu Province, marking a milestone for the nation's space program.
- Rocket developer LandSpace utilized deployable landing legs for the mission, representing China's first successful land recovery of a reusable launch vehicle following a July sea platform recovery.
- Engineering teams optimized the landing propulsion system by reducing engine usage and enhanced the onboard autonomous flight safety system to improve return-control strategies during the vehicle's high-speed atmospheric re-entry.
- While SpaceX and Blue Origin have recovered rockets since 2015, China's achievement positions the nation to reduce launch costs; Xinhua News Agency deemed the result "a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology."
- LandSpace confirmed the operation established a solid foundation for subsequent inspection, maintenance, and commercial applications of reusable launch vehicles, advancing the nation's long-term space ambitions.
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The first attempt had still failed: In China, a "Zhuque-3" rocket stage landed on land from its own strength and placed on landing legs - as one knows from the "Falcon 9" of the US company SpaceX. Whether it can now be reused, further flights must show.
Beijing, 19 Aug (EFE).- China managed to recover for the first time on the ground this Wednesday the first stage of a rocket, after the successful landing of Zhuque-3 Y2 at the designated site, and only a month after the Asian country achieved its first recovery on a maritime platform. https://holanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08rss-efe481c57a1-4b4c-4591-b5a4-2285ebb97d89-hd-web.
Land recovery of China's Zhuque-3 reusable rocket first stage completed
China's Zhuque-3 Y-2 rocket lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China on Wednesday morning, accurately placing the Honghu-03 satellite into its designated orbit. According to rocket developer LandSpace, the first stage completed its planned land recovery sequence as intended, and the flight and recovery test mission was a complete success.
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