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LandSpace achieves China's first orbital rocket land recovery
The Chinese private aerospace company LandSpace has achieved a major milestone by successfully performing the first controlled land recovery of an orbital-class rocket's first stage. The mission utilized the Zhuque-3 rocket, which launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone and successfully placed the Honghu 03 satellite into its intended orbit.
Following the orbital phase, the Zhuque-3's first stage executed a vertical landing in Minqin, Gansu province, using landing legs and stabilization fins. This achievement marks China's first successful recovery of a booster on land using this method. The Zhuque-3 is a two-stage, single-core rocket standing 66.1 meters tall, constructed primarily of stainless steel and powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane.
The first stage is equipped with nine Tianque-12A engines. This technological breakthrough is intended to significantly reduce launch costs, as the first stage represents approximately 70% of total launch expenses. LandSpace aims to establish a closed-loop system of launch, recovery, testing, and reuse to support high-frequency, low-cost commercial space operations and satellite constellation deployment.
Entities
China · China National Space Administration · Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone · Honghu 03 · LandSpace · Xiongan New Area · Zhuque-3
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The mission was China's first successful recovery of an orbital-class launch vehicle's first stage using landing legs and its first successful booster recovery on land. www.cnnbrasil.com.br · www.eeo.com.cn · sapo.pt · www.stheadline.com · www.space.com · +1 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Reusing the first stage can reduce launch costs, as the first stage accounts for approximately 70% of total launch costs. www.eeo.com.cn · sapo.pt · www.cnnbrasil.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] The mission successfully placed the Honghu 03 satellite into its intended orbit. sapo.pt · www.stheadline.com · www.eeo.com.cn
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Zhuque-3 rocket is 66.1 meters long and utilizes a single-core, two-stage configuration. www.cnnbrasil.com.br · www.eeo.com.cn · www.mixvale.com.br · www.space.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The rocket uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellant and features a stainless steel structure. www.cnnbrasil.com.br · www.eeo.com.cn · www.stheadline.com · www.mixvale.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] The first stage is equipped with nine Tianque-12A liquid oxygen methane engines. www.eeo.com.cn · www.cnnbrasil.com.br · www.mixvale.com.br