LandSpace just proved a rocket booster can come back to Earth in one piece in China too.
The Chinese startup landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket on Wednesday, according to Reuters. That makes LandSpace one of only a handful of private companies to bring an orbital-class booster down intact. The list still mostly reads SpaceX and Blue Origin. Reuters says the landing narrows the gap between China and the US on reusable rockets.
Reusability is what let SpaceX undercut everyone else on price with the Falcon 9, since flying a booster twice beats building a new one for every launch. If LandSpace can turn a single landing into a repeatable operation, China gets a credible domestic alternative to expendable rockets. That matters more for the country's launch industry than one dramatic touchdown video.
One landing is a proof of concept, not yet a business model. SpaceX needed years of failed barge landings before reuse became routine, and LandSpace is just starting that same grind.