China’s LandSpace beats SpaceX with steel-booster recovery after orbital launch

Zhuque-3 is China’s second orbital rocket to demonstrate first-stage recovery after Long March-10B first stage was captured by net in July

The successful mission makes Zhuque-3 China’s first commercial rocket to both reach orbit and have its first stage recovered.

SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster, which is also made of stainless steel, is awaiting US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its first recovery flight to send the Starship into orbit.

The 66-metre (217-foot) rocket, powered by liquid methane and oxygen, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert at 7.35am on Wednesday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The rocket delivered a Honghu-3 internet satellite into its designated orbit, while its first stage returned to Earth and touched down vertically at a recovery site in Minqin county, Gansu province, about 390km (242 miles) southeast of the launch pad.