Aamir Latif
19 August 2026•Update: 19 August 2026
China on Wednesday successfully recaptured the first stage of a reusable rocket on land for the first time, state media reported.
The 66.1-meter (216.8-foot) Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket blasted off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, Xinhua News Agency reported.
It lifted off with the nine-engine first stage, or booster, returning to a landing site in Gansu province, 390 kilometers (242 miles) southeast of the launch pad.
The land-based recovery was completed with the rocket's first stage touching down smoothly at the designated position at the recovery site. The second stage sent the onboard Honghu-03 satellite into preset orbit.
Highlighting a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology, the flight mission followed the successful sea-based net recovery of the Long March-10B's first stage on July 10.
Developed by Chinese commercial aerospace company LandSpace, Zhuque-3 is approved by the China National Space Administration as a new-generation liquid oxygen-methane-powered rocket for low-cost, high-capacity and high-frequency launches.
Zhuque-3 is made of stainless steel, which offers greater heat resistance and the prospect of reduced production costs
It can lift 14.2 metric tons to low Earth orbit on a one-way trip.
