China recovers rocket stage on land for first time, after earlier recovery at sea

China successfully recovered the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time on August 19, 2026, according to state media. This marks a significant milestone in China's space program as it had previously only recovered rocket stages at sea. The reusable rocket, named Zhuque-3, was launched from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwestern China.

The first stage, which separated after liftoff, was recovered using deployable landing legs. This successful recovery follows a sea-based recovery in July, where the same rocket stage was captured using a net-capture system. China's achievement comes as other space-faring nations, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, have been recovering rockets since 2015, helping to reduce launch costs by reusing hardware.

Japan also made headlines on July 11 with the first test flight of an experimental reusable rocket, which landed safely.