Kang Guohua, a senior member of the Chinese Society of Astronautics and a professor of aerospace engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told the Global Times that China has become the second country after the US to develop orbital-class rocket recovery capabilities.

　　The US currently leads reusable rocket development, with SpaceX and Blue Origin advancing different recovery technologies. China, meanwhile, has seen both state-owned aerospace programs and private companies explore different technical pathways, creating a diversified development pattern, Kang said.

　　According to Kang, the parallel development of different approaches demonstrates the advantages of combining national strategic capabilities with market-driven innovation.

　　Pang Zhihao, a prominent Chinese space exploration expert and retired researcher from the China Academy of Spacecraft Technology, told the Global Times that the successful recovery of Zhuque-3 would carry special significance for China"s private aerospace sector.

　　A landing-leg recovery approach would mean that private aerospace companies have completed the full process of developing a large-capacity reusable rocket system, validating key technologies including stainless-steel structures, multi-engine propulsion and recovery systems, Pang said.

　　More to expect

　　LandSpace said the first stage represents a significant share of the total cost of a liquid launch vehicle. Through repeated reuse, the cost of each launch can be gradually reduced, while production cycles can be shortened and launch frequency increased.

　　Such capabilities are becoming increasingly important as countries and companies accelerate the deployment of large low Earth orbit satellite constellations, it added.