Chinese Private Firm LandSpace Lands Orbital Rocket Booster, Joining SpaceX and Blue Origin

LandSpace recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket on August 19, 2026, in Gansu province — China's first land recovery of an orbital-class booster. The Beijing-based startup becomes only the third operator worldwide to achieve the feat, after SpaceX and Blue Origin. The Yao-2 mission also delivered its payload to orbit, succeeding where the December 2025 Yao-1 attempt failed its landing burn.