The first stage of the reusable Zhuque-3 rocket successfully landed on land in China, marking the country's first recovery of an orbital booster on national soil. The operation, carried out by startup LandSpace Technology Corp., completed the launch mission from Wednesday morning in northwest China and introduced for the first time the use of deployable landing legs, a key technology for reducing orbital launch costs.

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Technological leap: from nets to direct ground contact

This mission represents the second time China has recovered a rocket stage, following the July 10 success with the Long March-10B. On that occasion, the booster was caught by a net on an offshore platform off Hainan. The shift to land recovery with landing legs, similar to the approach adopted by SpaceX for Falcon 9, indicates significant technological maturation. According to Chinese authorities, this is a "major breakthrough" in reusable rocket technology, essential for competing in the global launch market.

China's LandSpace launches improved methane-powered rocket | Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/science/chinas-landspace-launches-improved-methane-powered-rocket-2025-05-17/

The race to reuse: SpaceX, Blue Origin and China's new challenge

While SpaceX and Blue Origin have been recovering rockets since 2015, China is accelerating to close the gap. The Zhuque-3 success fits into a broader strategy that includes the debut of the Long March 12B and ambitious plans for orbital data centers. The goal is clear: slash access-to-space costs and ensure technological autonomy in a sector dominated until now by US players. Japan, with its first test flight of a reusable rocket on July 11, also joins the list of countries aiming for this technology.

Landspace aims for Q2 Zhuque-3 orbital launch and recovery — https://www.azernews.az/region/254610.html

Strategic implications for the global space market

The ability to reuse boosters drastically reduces costs per launch, making more frequent missions and large-scale satellite constellations accessible. For China, this success is not just an engineering victory but a geopolitical message: the country confirms itself as a primary actor in the new era of commercial space exploration. With the FAA predicting nearly 4,300 launches in the US by 2036, competitive pressure pushes all major players to innovate rapidly to maintain their edge in the orbital market.