Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 20 August 2026

LandSpace Lands Zhuque-3 Booster in Reusable Milestone

Exam-focused facts from the 20 August 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • LandSpace successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket, becoming the third private company to land an orbital-class booster.
  • The Zhuque-3 rocket is made of stainless steel, offering greater heat resistance and reduced production costs compared to the Falcon 9's aluminium-lithium alloy.
  • The rocket uses methane and liquid oxygen propellants, which burn cleaner than the Falcon 9's liquid oxygen and kerosene mix.
  • The Zhuque-3 can lift 14.2 metric tons to low Earth orbit on a one-way trip, compared to the Falcon 9's 22.8 tons.
  • LandSpace aims to reuse the Zhuque-3 booster up to 20 times.
  • The launch took place from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwestern China, with the booster landing in Gansu province.

View this story in the full daily briefing

Earlier coverage selected by topic similarity to help connect developments over time.

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