China has achieved two major reusable rocket recovery milestones in little more than a month, potentially bringing the country closer to a capability that could have implications far beyond the commercial space sector.<\/p>\n
On August 19, Chinese commercial launch company LandSpace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket on solid ground after an orbital launch. The achievement followed China\u2019s first controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster in July, when the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, or CASC, recovered a Long March 10B first stage using a net-based system on an offshore platform.<\/p>\n
Together, the demonstrations show China pursuing reusable launch technology through both state-backed and commercial programs.<\/p>\n
A step toward cheaper and faster launches<\/p>\n
As the South China Morning Post<\/a> reported, the significance of the breakthroughs could extend to the People\u2019s Liberation Army\u2019s growing dependence on satellites for communications, navigation, surveillance and targeting.<\/p>\n The basic advantage of rocket reusability is straightforward: if the most expensive parts of a launch vehicle can be recovered and flown again, the cost of reaching orbit can potentially fall while launch frequency increases.<\/p>\n That capability has already become a major part of the U.S. space ecosystem through SpaceX. The War Zone<\/a> noted that reusable boosters could similarly help China increase launch tempo and expand an already rapidly growing military and national-security space enterprise.<\/p>\n LandSpace\u2019s Zhuque-3 demonstrated a more conventional vertical recovery, using engine-powered deceleration and deployable landing legs. The Long March 10B, meanwhile, took a different approach, guiding its returning booster into a net mounted on a specialized recovery vessel.<\/p>\n Chinese officials have argued that the net-based approach can reduce the weight penalty associated with carrying landing legs while also providing a wider capture margin.<\/p>\n Why satellites matter to the PLA\u2019s kill chain<\/p>\n The potential military significance lies in what cheaper, more frequent launches could make possible. Modern military operations depend heavily on satellites for communications, positioning, navigation, timing and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance<\/a>. For the PLA, these capabilities are increasingly important for detecting, tracking and potentially targeting U.S. and allied forces across the vast Indo-Pacific<\/a>.<\/p>\n The SCMP article cites defense analysts who argue that reusable rockets could make China\u2019s satellite networks more resilient during a conflict. If satellites supporting communications or ISR were damaged or destroyed, a faster and less expensive launch system could theoretically allow replacement spacecraft to be deployed more quickly. That could make attempts to disrupt the space-based links in a military \u201ckill chain\u201d less effective over time.<\/p>\n As The War Zone also highlighted, the ability to launch and replenish satellites at a higher tempo could help erode an important U.S. advantage in access to space for both commercial and national-security purposes.<\/p>\n China has recovered the boosters, but reuse is the next test<\/p>\n China has not yet demonstrated routine reuse of the recovered boosters. LandSpace has said the Zhuque-3 first stage is designed for multiple flights, while CASC is also continuing work on reusable launch architectures. The successful recoveries therefore represent an important step, but not the end of the technological challenge.<\/p>\n Still, the pace of recent progress is notable. China has now demonstrated two different methods of recovering orbital-class rocket boosters. An offshore net capture by CASC and a vertical land landing by LandSpace.<\/p>\n