China Readies 5 Reusable Rockets for 2026 Debuts as Megaconstellation Launch Bottleneck Persists
Updated
Updated · SpaceNews · May 29
China Readies 5 Reusable Rockets for 2026 Debuts as Megaconstellation Launch Bottleneck Persists
3 articles · Updated · SpaceNews · May 29
Long March 12B and Galactic Energy’s Pallas-1 are already standing at Jiuquan pads, signaling that two closely watched Chinese launcher debuts are nearing after months of testing.
China is pushing the new flights and recovery trials to expand launch capacity for megaconstellation projects, with Long March 12B billed for about 20 tons to low Earth orbit and Pallas-1 for 7,000 kg.
Long March 10B, tied to China’s lunar architecture, has finished a wet dress rehearsal at Wenchang and is targeting a booster sea-catch attempt, though its test flight may slip to July.
iSpace says Hyperbola-3 has completed full-profile ground checks for sea recovery, while Landspace is preparing a second Zhuque-3 recovery attempt after last year’s failed landing sequence.
The coming campaign follows mixed results in March and April, when Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 failed to reach orbit but CAS Space’s Kinetica-2 flew successfully.
As China's reusable rockets debut, can they truly challenge SpaceX's market dominance or just serve national ambitions?
Is China's commercial space boom a genuine market shift or a state strategy to control orbital infrastructure?
With thousands of new satellites planned, who will regulate the escalating environmental and debris crisis in Earth's orbit?
China’s 2026–2030 Reusable Rocket Push: Can It Slash Launch Costs and Win the Megaconstellation Race?
Overview
As of June 2, 2026, China is pushing forward with reusable rocket technology to reduce launch costs and improve access to space, following global industry trends. Landspace’s Zhuque-3 rocket reached orbit in late 2025, but its first attempt at a powered descent and landing was unsuccessful. Undeterred, Landspace has moved Zhuque-3 to the Jiuquan spaceport and plans a second recovery attempt in the second quarter of 2026. These efforts highlight China’s determination to master reusability, which is crucial for making space launches more affordable and frequent in the coming years.