LandSpace Successfully Lands Zhuque-3 Rocket Booster in Major Reusable Tech Milestone

Landspace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket on August 18, 2026, following a launch from the Gobi Desert, according to reporting by SpaceNews. The achievement marks China’s second booster recovery in just over a month and establishes the company as the third entity globally to land an orbital booster on legs, joining SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The second Zhuque-3 rocket lifted off at 7:35 p.m. Eastern on August 18 from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, SpaceNews reported. The first and second stages separated 137 seconds into the flight. According to Landspace, the first stage completed a powered descent and vertical landing at a site around 390 kilometers downrange in Minqin County, Gansu Province, at 7:43 p.m. Eastern.

Landing legs deployed in the final moments of the landing burn ahead of a soft touchdown. The second stage continued its flight, successfully inserting the Honghu 03 satellite into orbit. Hongqing Technology, an affiliate of Landspace, built the satellite and raised more than $191 million in July, according to SpaceNews.

Zhuque-3 Rocket Specifications and Comparison

The Zhuque-3 is a two-stage, stainless steel rocket with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a liftoff mass of about 570 metric tons, standing approximately 66 meters tall on the pad, SpaceNews reported. Its first stage is powered by nine Tianque-series methane-liquid oxygen engines.

In terms of payload capacity, the rocket can lift up to 21,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit when expendable, or up to 18,300 kilograms when the first stage is recovered downrange. SpaceNews noted that these figures make the vehicle comparable in payload capacity to the Falcon 9.

The successful landing follows an earlier attempt during the debut flight of the Zhuque-3 eight and a half months prior, which reached orbit but failed during the latter stages of first-stage recovery. State-owned CASC also experienced a failed recovery attempt weeks later with the Long March 12A. These setbacks preceded China’s first successful orbital booster recovery achieved by CASC using a Long March 10B and a drone vessel at sea equipped with a net-capture system.

Technical Adjustments and Future Commercial Goals

Landspace implemented several design changes following the first Zhuque-3 recovery failure. According to the company’s post-mission statement cited by SpaceNews, engineers reduced the number of engines used during the landing burn to simplify the system and improve reliability. The company also added a predicted landing point to the onboard autonomous safety control system and upgraded thermal protection to manage extreme reentry heating and structural loads.

The mission transitions Landspace from the recovery technology verification phase to engineering-scale reuse verification.

This mission lays a solid foundation for subsequent recovery, maintenance, reuse flights, and commercial applications,

Landspace

Landspace stated earlier in the year that it planned to launch the second Zhuque-3 in the second quarter of 2026, targeting a reuse of the recovered first stage in the fourth quarter. However, the company did not provide a specific timeline for reuse in its post-mission statement.

The vehicle is expected to support China’s development of the Guowang and Thousand Sails megaconstellations in low Earth orbit. SpaceNews reported that the success also supports Landspace’s pending STAR Market IPO bid, placing the commercial firm ahead of domestic competitors in establishing a medium-lift rocket with demonstrated recoverability. The flight marked China’s 60th orbital launch attempt of 2026.