On August 19, LandSpace, a rocket startup from China, successfully launched its Zhuque-3 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in northwestern China. This momentous occasion marked a significant achievement for the company, as it was the first time a Chinese private firm managed to land the first stage of an orbital-class rocket back on land.
After the rocket’s first stage separated, it made a controlled descent and landed upright at a designated location, while the second stage continued its journey into orbit. This success comes just eight months after a previous attempt where the booster crashed after attempting to land.
Dai Zheng, the chief commander of Zhuque-3 and the deputy general manager of LandSpace, reflected on the mission, saying, “The final landing maneuver was executed perfectly, bringing the rocket to a stable stop on the landing pad.” He described the overall performance of the rocket as “quite perfect.”
Dai’s journey in aerospace began during his childhood in Fujian Province, where he was inspired by the stars. At just 19 years old, he enrolled in Tsinghua University, studying aerospace engineering, and later joined the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, contributing to important projects like the Long March rocket program.
However, the innovations from SpaceX began to influence his perspective on space travel. In December 2015, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster successfully returned to land, Dai was struck by how reusing rocket components could lower the costs of space travel. His conversations with LandSpace’s founder, Zhang Changwu, ultimately led him to leave the stability of his state job to join the budding startup.
Landing the Zhuque-3 was not without its struggles. After facing a setback in October 2018 with the failure of Zhuque-1 during its first flight, LandSpace decided to develop its own technology. This led to the successful launch of Zhuque-2 in July 2023, marking a breakthrough as the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.
Now, with the Zhuque-3 designed for reusability, Dai sees the potential for reducing launch costs. He believes that establishing a robust reusable system will not only aid in competitive space endeavors against the U.S. but also inspire future generations. “We need to ensure that the next generation sees Chinese achievements in space,” he stated in a recent interview.
The road to success, however, is still long. The first attempt to land the Zhuque-3 in December 2025 ended in failure, but Dai and his team learned from the mishap. After extensive analysis, tests, and modifications, they successfully landed the rocket on their second try.
Moving forward, LandSpace aims to ensure that the recovered rocket stages are ready for future missions. Initially, they expect to reuse the stages two to three times, with hopes of increasing that number in the future.
Dai acknowledges the challenges still ahead, especially when comparing their progress to that of SpaceX, whose Falcon 9 boosters have already flown multiple times. But he remains optimistic, knowing that every setback brings valuable lessons. “Experiencing failure is how you gain experience,” he concluded. “We choose to pursue these challenges not because they are easy but because they are the right thing to do.”
