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LandSpace Recovers Zhuque-3 Booster on Second Orbital Flight, Advancing China’s Reusable-Rocket Ambitions

Chinese startup LandSpace successfully soft-landed the first stage of its methalox-powered Zhuque-3 rocket after its second orbital launch from Jiuquan on Aug. 18. The milestone makes LandSpace one of only a few private companies to recover an orbital-class booster and strengthens China’s position in reusable launch technology.

2026-08-18T18:33:08.518584-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation

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LandSpace Recovers Zhuque-3 Booster on Second Orbital Flight, Advancing China’s Reusable-Rocket Ambitions

Chinese startup LandSpace successfully soft-landed the first stage of its methalox-powered Zhuque-3 rocket after its second orbital launch from Jiuquan on Aug. 18. The milestone makes LandSpace one of only a few private companies to recover an orbital-class booster and strengthens China’s position in reusable launch technology.

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SpaceX recovers Starship Ship 40 after first intact Indian Ocean splashdown for engineering analysis

SpaceX has towed Starship Ship 40 into a protected bay at Christmas Island after a 24-day voyage through the Indian Ocean. The vehicle, which achieved the program’s first intact ocean splashdown during Flight 13 on July 24, will undergo further analysis by SpaceX engineers ahead of the next test flight.

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SpaceX set to launch its 100th mission of the year

SpaceX plans to conduct its 100th mission of the year on Aug. 18, marking a significant annual launch milestone. The event will be livestreamed, giving industry observers a real-time view of the company’s continuing launch cadence.

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Satellite connectivity buildout advances with Globalstar deployment, IRIS² milestone, Viasat- Rocket Lab contract and ReOrbit R&

Globalstar deployed all eight replacement satellites built by Rocket Lab and MDA Space, while Eutelsat completed the first rendez-vous for Europe’s IRIS² programme. Separately, Viasat selected Rocket Lab for a U.S. Space Force GEO satellite, and Finland’s ReOrbit launched a €4.6 million connectivity R&D programme.

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SpaceX Plans Three Starlink Launches as China Schedules Reusable-Booster Test and Chang’e 7 Lunar Mission

The week of Aug. 17-23 will feature three SpaceX Starlink launches alongside China’s second test flight of the partially reusable ZhuQue-3 launcher and the robotic Chang’e 7 lunar mission. The schedule marks China’s return to launch activity after the previous week’s Chang Zheng 7A failure.

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