# first-stage recovery

LandSpace Plans 2026 Push to Validate Zhuque-3 First‑Stage Reuse Across Flight Data, Recovery Tests and Routine Operations

LandSpace will pursue a three‑pronged 2026 programme to validate first‑stage recovery and reuse for its Zhuque‑3 rocket: flight‑data analysis on re‑entry aerothermal and structural issues, another recovery flight test tied to constellation launches, and work to normalise post‑recovery maintenance and reliability. Success would advance China’s private space sector toward higher cadence, lower‑cost launches, but scaling reuse into routine operations remains the critical challenge.