China launches Zhuque-3, achieving its first rocket recovery on land

This screenshot from a video clip shows the first stage of the Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket successfully completing its land-based recovery, Aug. 19, 2026.

China launched the reusable rocket Zhuque-3 on Wednesday morning, achieving its first recovery of a rocket's first stage on land.

The Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket blasted off at 7:35 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China.

The land-based recovery was completed as planned, with the rocket's first stage touching down smoothly at the designated position in the recovery site. The second stage sent the onboard Honghu-03 satellite into preset orbit. The flight mission was a complete success. (LandSpace/Handout via Xinhua)