tech
The floodgates are open after another Chinese company lands a reusable rocket
“We will put the booster back into service for another flight as soon as possible.”
TL;DR
- LandSpace successfully recovered its Zhuque-3 rocket's first stage after a propulsive landing in northwestern China.
- This is China's first successful land-based recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster using landing legs.
- The Zhuque-3 booster's design, with grid fins and landing legs, resembles SpaceX's Falcon 9, but uses methane fuel.
- LandSpace plans to reuse the booster after inspection and maintenance, aiming for multiple flights per booster.
- China's development in reusable rockets is rapidly advancing, with several other companies working on similar technology.
- The US launch industry, dominated by SpaceX, is also evolving with Starship and other reusable rocket projects.
- China's growing capability in reusable rockets could challenge the current dominance of US companies in the launch market.
- The Zhuque-3 can carry over 17,600 pounds to low-Earth orbit in reusable mode, with plans for an upgraded version.