LandSpace advances reusable rocket technology with successful vertical landing test

LandSpace, a leading private rocket manufacturer in China, made significant progress toward developing a reusable carrier rocket on Wednesday with a successful technological demonstration.

The Beijing-based company conducted a "vertical takeoff and vertical landing" (VTVL) test at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. The experimental rocket, named VTVL-1, lifted off, reached an altitude of 10 kilometers, and then performed a controlled vertical landing.

After a 200-second flight, the rocket shut down its engine to begin a computer-controlled descent. At 4.64 kilometers, the engine re-ignited, reducing descent speed and adjusting its flight position. The rocket landed softly on a designated point about 3.2 kilometers from the launch site, demonstrating high landing accuracy, according to the company.

This marked the second technological demonstration, or "hop test," by the VTVL-1, following a similar test in January that reached a height of 350 meters in a one-minute flight.

The VTVL-1 vehicle is 18.3 meters tall, with a diameter of 3.35 meters, made of stainless steel, and has a liftoff weight of 68 tons. It is equipped with landing gears consisting of three buffer legs and four grid fins. The engine used in both tests was a modified TQ 12 methane engine with a thrust of 80 metric tons.

LandSpace, one of China's pioneering private players in the space industry, made headlines last year when it launched the world's first methane-fueled rocket into orbit, solidifying its position as a leader in the country's rapidly advancing space sector.