LandSpace, a private Chinese aerospace company, successfully conducted a test flight of its Zhuque-3 rocket on Wednesday. The 66-metre (217-foot) rocket launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre and completed an eight-minute flight, during which it deployed a Honghu-3 internet satellite. Following the deployment, the rocket's first stage successfully touched down in Minqin County, Gansu province, approximately 390 kilometres from the launch site.

This mission represents a notable advancement in China’s domestic efforts to master reusable rocket technology, a field currently dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. By recovering the first stage of the rocket, LandSpace aims to significantly lower the financial barriers associated with space launches. The successful recovery indicates that China is narrowing the technological gap in the commercial space sector, moving closer to the operational capabilities that have allowed SpaceX to revolutionize the industry through frequent, cost-effective launches.