BEIJING: Chinese space start-up LandSpace successfully recovered the first stage of a rocket on land on Wednesday, a feat described by state media as a national first and a “breakthrough” in reusable spacecraft technology.
The Zhuque-3 rocket lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwestern China at 7:35am, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
The rocket’s first stage, the lowest section, was later recovered successfully, with Xinhua reporting that it was “touching down smoothly”.
The achievement places LandSpace alongside SpaceX and Blue Origin as the only private companies to have landed an orbital-class booster, while also helping China narrow the gap with the United States in reusable rocket technology.
Footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV showed the booster descending steadily toward a desert landing site before deploying its landing legs and touching down.
Meanwhile, the rocket’s second stage successfully placed the Honghu-03 satellite into orbit, with Xinhua describing the overall mission as “a complete success”.
Space experts said LandSpace had become the first company outside the United States to land an orbital-class booster “on its own legs”.
“LandSpace’s successful landing is a major milestone for China’s commercial space sector,” said Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist and professor at Australia’s Macquarie University.
