LandSpace aims to relaunch reusable rocket by mid-2026
Chinese private company LandSpace plans to successfully recover and reuse the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket by mid-2026, according to Deputy Chief Designer Dong Kai in an interview with the Chinese podcast Tech Early Know. This development marks a significant milestone for China’s space industry and could reduce launch costs.
Source Reuters
The first test flight of the Zhuque-3 from the Jiuquan launch complex took place in early December, but the booster landing attempt was unsuccessful. The company remains optimistic about a successful recovery on the next attempt, after which the first stage will be reused. LandSpace intends to conduct a total of 10 launches across all rocket models in 2026.
By achieving reliable reusable launches, LandSpace aims to challenge market leaders. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has noted that the Zhuque-3 design has the potential to outperform Falcon 9, although it may take more than five years to reach comparable launch cadence.
