China completed its first Zhuque-3 rocket recovery on land on August 19, when the reusable rocket’s first stage returned after launch in northwest China, state media reported.
Xinhua said the first stage used deployable landing legs during the recovery. The agency called the result a major step in China’s reusable rocket programme.
The landing marked China’s second successful recovery of a rocket stage. On July 10, a Long March-10B first stage returned to a platform at sea.
That earlier mission used a net-capture system. By contrast, Zhuque-3 used landing legs to return directly to solid ground.
Reusable launch systems aim to cut costs by allowing operators to fly major rocket hardware multiple times rather than discarding it after a single mission.
Read: China Lands Reusable Rocket for First Time, State Media says
SpaceX and Blue Origin have recovered rocket stages since 2015, according to the supplied report. Their systems helped make reusable boosters a major part of commercial spaceflight.
Meanwhile, Japan tested an experimental reusable rocket on July 11. The vehicle took off and landed successfully during its first test flight.
Read: China’s LandSpace Eyes SpaceX Model as Reusable Rocket Drive Gathers Pace
China’s August 19 recovery therefore adds another reusable launch milestone as Asian space programmes develop lower-cost launch systems.
