China recovers rocket stage on land for first time, after earlier recovery at sea
Summary
China has successfully recovered the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time, using a reusable rocket called Zhuque-3. This is the second time China has recovered a rocket stage, after previously doing so on a sea platform in July.Key Facts
- China recovered the first stage of the Zhuque-3 rocket on land on August 19, 2026.
- This recovery used deployable landing legs, marking China’s first use of this technology.
- The earlier recovery in July involved a rocket stage landing on a sea platform using a net-capture system.
- Reusable rockets are important because they help lower the cost of space launches by reusing parts.
- Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin have been reusing rockets since 2015.
- The event is considered a major breakthrough in China’s reusable rocket technology.
- On July 11, Japan tested a reusable rocket that took off and landed safely.
- Japan is also developing reusable rocket technology to reduce launch costs and compete globally.
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