Yuanxingzhe-1

A single-engine demonstrator completed China's first sea-based VTVL recovery test in May 2025. First-flight systems were still in joint testing after a July 22, 2026 second-stage tail-cabin vibration test, and the maiden orbital flight plus sea recovery remain targeted for the end of 2026. The January Hangzhou plan to start 'Qiantang-hao' final assembly by the end of August 2026 has not been publicly confirmed as of early September 2026.

Payload

~9,000 kg to 1,100 km SSO / up to ~14,000 kg to LEO

Height

~66 m

Liftoff Mass

~575 t (Hangzhou 'Qiantang-hao' figures)

Diameter

4.2 m (with 3 m & 4 m tank sections)

Engines

Jiuzhou Yunjian LY-70 'Longyun' methalox

purchased

Propellant

Methane / liquid oxygen

Construction

Stainless steel

Reusable

Yes

first stage; sea recovery; designed for up to 20 reuses

Announced next steps from Space Epoch that mention Yuanxingzhe-1.

• 

  Active

  Falcon 9

  SpaceX

  Partially reusable two-stage medium-lift launch vehicle. The world's most frequently launched orbital rocket.

  Payload to LEO

  22,800 kg (expendable)

  Payload to GTO

  8,300 kg (expendable)

• 

  Active

  Falcon Heavy

  SpaceX

  Heavy-lift launch vehicle consisting of a strengthened Falcon 9 core with two additional boosters.

  Payload to LEO

  63,800 kg

  Payload to GTO

  26,700 kg

• 

  Active

  Dragon

  SpaceX

  Reusable spacecraft for cargo and crew transport to the International Space Station.

  Crew Capacity

  Up to 7

  Cargo Capacity (pressurized)

  6,000 kg

• 

  In Development

  Starship

  SpaceX

  Fully reusable super-heavy-lift launch system designed for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. V3 (Block 3) variant with Raptor 3 engines is the production version.

  Payload to LEO

  100–150 t

  Height

  121 m (397 ft)