Monday, August 24, 2026
LandSpace's landed Zhuque-3 booster collapses after post-touchdown fire
Days after LandSpace's Zhuque-3 became the first privately built Chinese orbital-class booster to land on legs, residual methane and liquid oxygen ignited near its base on the recovery pad, burning the landing-gear area until the stainless-steel stage toppled over. LandSpace says the landing itself still counts as a successful proof of its recovery technology and it aims to refurbish and refly a recovered stage within months, targeting a first Zhuque-3 reflight around Q4 2026.
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