Key facts
- Chinese startup LandSpace successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket.
- This achievement makes LandSpace one of the few private companies globally to land an orbital-class booster.
- The Zhuque-3 rocket is constructed from stainless steel and uses methane and liquid oxygen as fuel.
- LandSpace aims to reuse the Zhuque-3 booster up to 20 times.
- The company is pursuing an IPO to raise funds for development and expansion.
Chinese startup LandSpace has successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket, marking a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology and narrowing the gap with U.S. competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin. The Zhuque-3, a stainless-steel rocket designed to be cost-effective and run on cleaner methane and liquid oxygen, landed in Gansu province after lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This achievement is crucial for reducing the cost of space exploration and commercialization. LandSpace is pursuing an initial public offering on Shanghai's STAR Market to raise funds for further development and expansion of its reusable launch services, aiming for profitability by 2029. The Zhuque-3 has a payload capacity of 14.2 metric tons to low Earth orbit and is intended for up to 20 reuses, positioning it as a competitive alternative to SpaceX's Falcon 9.