EXPLAINER: Why China’s reusable rocket success marks a turning point in global space race

Why reusable rockets matter

The first stage is typically the most expensive part of a rocket.

For decades, launch vehicles were designed to be used only once before falling into the ocean or burning up in the atmosphere.

Recovering and flying the same booster again spreads manufacturing costs across multiple missions, potentially lowering launch costs while allowing operators to launch more frequently.

SpaceX changed the economics of spaceflight when it landed a Falcon 9 first-stage booster for the first time.

Since then, the company has made booster recovery routine, with some first stages flying more than 20 missions. Blue Origin has repeatedly reused its New Shepard suborbital rocket.

Years in the making

For years, China relied on expendable Long March rockets while focusing on building its Tiangong space station, carrying out lunar and Mars exploration missions, and expanding its satellite launch capabilities.

As demand for launches accelerated with the growth of commercial satellites and planned broadband constellations, Chinese engineers increasingly shifted their focus towards reusable systems.

The effort gained momentum over the past two years.

CASC and its subsidiary – the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) – developed multiple reusable rocket concepts, while private firms including LandSpace, Space Pioneer and Deep Blue Aerospace began pursuing reusable boosters through a series of vertical takeoff and landing tests.

LandSpace tried and failed to land a booster for the first time in December, watching it explode during descent.

Days later, the state-backed Long March-12A also failed to recover its stage.

Earlier this year, a test version of the Long March-10 booster completed a controlled ocean splashdown without attempting recovery by net.

There is a nearer-term goal too.

China is building its own answer to Starlink, a planned satellite network called “Guowang,” which aims to deploy approximately 13,000 satellites by the 2030s.