LandSpace Lands Zhuque-3 Booster in Reusable Milestone

LandSpace, a Beijing-based private space startup, launched its 66-metre Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket on 19 August 2026 and vertically landed its first-stage booster. The mission placed the Honghu-3 commercial internet satellite into its designated orbit and marked China’s first land recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster.

Zhuque-3 Rocket

Zhuque-3 is a stainless-steel launch vehicle powered by liquid oxygen and methane. It is designed to carry up to 14.2 metric tonnes to low Earth orbit and to be reused up to 20 times.

Reusable Booster Recovery

The rocket lifted off at 7:35 a.m. Beijing time from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China. The first-stage booster landed in Minqin County, Gansu province, about 390 kilometres away, using landing legs for vertical recovery.

China’s Orbital Booster Recovery

The 19 August 2026 landing was China’s second orbital booster recovery. The first was carried out by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on 10 July 2026, when a Long March 10B booster was recovered using a sea-based net-capture system.

Important Facts for Exams

• SpaceX and Blue Origin are the two private firms that recovered orbital-class rocket boosters before LandSpace.
• LandSpace became the fourth entity globally to recover an orbital-class rocket booster.
• The Zhuque-3 maiden flight took place in December 2025 and ended with booster failure during final descent.
• The Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone is located in northwest China.

Commercial Space and IPO Plans

LandSpace is seeking to raise 7.5 billion yuan through an initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s STAR Market. The company has set a profitability target for 2029.