Chinese start-up nails reusable rocket landing, joins SpaceX, Blue Origin
What's the story
Chinese start-up LandSpace has successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket. The feat makes it the third private company after SpaceX and Blue Origin to achieve this milestone with an orbital-class booster. The development marks a major step in China's efforts to close the gap with the US in reusable rocket technology.
Launch details
Here's more about the successful landing
The Zhuque-3, a 66.1-meter stainless-steel rocket, lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwestern China.
Its nine-engine first stage or booster successfully returned to a designated landing site in Gansu province, about 390km southeast of the launch pad.
This was LandSpace's second attempt at this feat with its engine-packed first stage of Zhuque-3.
Rocket specifications
Zhuque-3 is China's answer to SpaceX's Falcon 9
The Zhuque-3 is being touted as China's answer to SpaceX's Falcon 9.
LandSpace claims that the new rocket offers better heat resistance and lower production costs than Falcon 9's aluminum-lithium alloy body.
It also runs on methane and liquid oxygen, which are cleaner-burning alternatives to Falcon 9's liquid oxygen and kerosene mix.
The rocket can carry up to 14.2 metric tons into low Earth orbit on a one-way trip, compared to Falcon 9's capacity of 22.8 tons.
Reusability goals
LandSpace hopes to reuse Zhuque-3 booster up to 20 times
LandSpace hopes to reuse the Zhuque-3 booster as many as 20 times.
This is in stark contrast to SpaceX, which launches its Falcon 9 about 150 times a year and reuses its boosters dozens of times.
The successful landing of the Zhuque-3 first stage is likely to boost investor confidence as LandSpace seeks a listing on Shanghai Stock Exchange's tech-focused STAR Market.