This Chinese company could become the country’s first to land a reusable rocket, but it’s not alone in the race. LandSpace, a Beijing-based startup, is about to launch its Zhuque-3 rocket, which looks a lot like SpaceX’s Falcon 9. But there’s a twist: LandSpace aims to land its first stage booster, a feat that SpaceX took over 500 attempts to achieve. This ambitious move could give LandSpace a significant advantage in the Chinese launch industry.
The Zhuque-3 rocket is a medium-lift vehicle capable of carrying up to 17,600 pounds (8 metric tons) into low-Earth orbit. It features nine TQ-12A engines burning methane and liquid oxygen, producing over 1.6 million pounds of thrust. LandSpace plans to upgrade the Zhuque-3, increasing its payload capacity to over 40,000 pounds (18.3 metric tons) in reusable mode.
But LandSpace isn’t the only player in the reusable rocket game. China’s legacy state-owned rocket developers and several venture-backed startups are also in the mix. Space Pioneer, CAS Space, Galactic Energy, and i-Space are all working on reusable rockets, with some already in advanced stages of development. The competition is fierce, and the stakes are high as China aims to keep up with the US launch industry, dominated by SpaceX.
The US military has identified China’s advancements in reusable rocketry as a potential threat to US assets in space. Without reusable rockets, China has launched less frequently than the US this year, but that could change. The race is on, and the winner will have a significant advantage in the Chinese launch industry. Who will land the first reusable rocket? That’s the question on everyone’s mind.
