Overview
- LandSpace’s Zhuque‑3 Y2 delivered the Honghu 03 satellite to orbit and then returned its nine‑engine first stage for a controlled vertical landing at a recovery site in Minqin County, Gansu, with video showing a small aft fire after touchdown.
- The company made targeted fixes after the December debut failure, including cutting engines used in the landing burn, adding a predicted‑impact‑point safety function to onboard controls, and strengthening thermal protection for reentry.
- Engineers will inspect and refurbish the recovered booster before reuse and LandSpace says it aims to fly that stage again within about six months, a company target that has not yet been scheduled or independently verified.
- China has now demonstrated two distinct orbital recovery methods, with state‑owned CASC catching a Long March 10B at sea in July and LandSpace proving land‑leg propulsive recovery, putting the country alongside a small group of providers with leg‑landings.
- If refurbishment proves fast and affordable, routine reuse could cut per‑launch costs and speed large satellite‑constellation deployments, but uncertainties remain about damage from reentry, the cost of overhauls, and how quickly reuse can scale.