BEIJING — China has successfully recaptured the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time, state media reported Wednesday, as the country seeks to advance its space program, reports BritPanorama.
This marks China’s first successful recovery on land, following a successful recovery on a sea platform in July. The state-run Xinhua news agency indicated that the reusable rocket, Zhuque-3, was launched Wednesday morning, with the rocket’s first stage being recovered shortly after.
Xinhua described the redevelopment as a significant milestone in China’s reusable rocket technology, noting it was also the first occasion on which deployable landing legs were used for recovery.
On July 10, the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket separated after launch and returned to a platform at sea, employing a net-capture system for recovery. Concurrently, Japan conducted its initial test flight of an experimental reusable rocket the following day, marking an increasing global race in rocket technology.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin have been recovering rockets since 2015, significantly driving down launch costs through hardware reuse. Japan, meanwhile, aims to enhance its capabilities in a competitive international space market.
The momentum around reusable rocket technology indicates a shift in how nations approach space exploration and satellite deployment, signaling a new era in the aerospace industry.
