LandSpace lands Zhuque-3 booster, a first for a private Chinese rocket company
LandSpace landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket on legs in northwest China on August 19, becoming the first private Chinese company to recover an orbital-class booster on land. The same flight placed a satellite into orbit, following a failed landing attempt on the rocket's December debut.
LandSpace's Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China on August 19, 2026, and its first stage landed vertically on deployable legs, the first time any private Chinese company has recovered an orbital-class booster on land. The second stage carried the Honghu-03 satellite into orbit. It is only the second Chinese booster recovery ever, after a state-owned Long March 10B's sea-based net landing in July. Zhuque-3's own first flight in December ended when the booster exploded near the landing pad. LandSpace says the flight moves the rocket toward routine reuse.