Chinese Reusability in Spaceflight
Deion Wu
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Welcome to "Chinese Reusability In Spaceflight!" This website seeks to express my reasoning for which Chinese rockets will achieve reusability first. Reusability itself has many definitions, and it is important to clear up which I seek to track. As of now, it is as simple as "landing or catching an orbital class booster."
Some may argue that this isn't reusability until that recovered booster is reflown, as implied in the literal definition of "reusability." But considering there will be varying levels of repairs on each reflown first stage, such as replacing one engine, or maybe all of them, it is much simpler to follow the first definition.
Also note, this list does not include the numerous small commercial companies that I deem are nothing more than "investment bait." Many of them don't even have an expendable rocket and yet they seek to achieve reusability this late in the game? Of course there is the chance they will pull a rabbit out of a hat and perform a maiden flight before some of the rockets listed below but it isn't worth researching and documenting.
I am also slowly adding more rockets that I skipped over during the original launch of the website. Be sure to stay connected to my twitter page @CReusability for updates / possible changes in the ranking. The most fun part is seeing if my predictions turn out to be wrong or right, and as of May 2026, I would say I am on the correct path!!!
Landspace is the strongest contender for the first to reusability. The expendable ZhuQue 2 was a major pathfinder and step towards reusability. Unlocking experience with liquid engines (which are the same as those planned for the reusable ZhuQue 3) but most importantly the ability to iterate and improve on a design.
The company has performed two VTVL tests, one 350m and one 10km. The 10km VTVL test is one of the most advanced in China, with an engine relight and grid fin controlled descent.
When faced with the delayed in the TQ 12B engine, Landspace cleverly first launches a downgraded ZQ 3 to learn earlier with matured engines, while the future iteration moves towards completion.
The maiden flight was completed on December 3rd 2025.
The second flight is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026.
Pros:
Liquid fueled expendable rocket experience (ZQ 2), also uses the same engines as ZQ 3.
Lots of evidence to support the to-scale production of ZQ3
Two successful VTVL experiments (10km and engine restart)
IPO dedicated to ZQ 3 production
Cons:
Potential government regulations as the commercial pioneer.
Unexpected fails from ZQ 2E, loss of potential customer.
As a government enterprise, and they have plenty of expendable rocket experience.
SAST has a total of two VTVL experiments, the first to complete an a 10 km flight, with deployable landing legs. The 75 km VTVL, although not successful, definitely provided useful information.
The only reason I did not place SAST first is because of their production speed. This can only to be expected from the national space agency, SAST is likely to take things slow and steady, but reusability needs some level of trail and error (the SpaceX approach).
The maiden flight of the LM 12A was completed on December 22nd 2025.
The maiden flight of the LM 12B was completed on June 1st, 2026.
Pros:
Lots of experience with rocketry as a whole
Necessary funding and property to support the repeated production of LM 12A, just as they showed with LM 12.
Early VTVL experience, even with the failed 75km hop.
Cons:
Traditional approaches to rocketry are a potential hinderance to achieving reusability (need to take the SpaceX trial and error approach).
Landing pad location is too close to JSLC, and will only put more strain on the booster.
Out of all the commercial companies, Galactic Energy has the most launches under its belt with the Ceres 1, a record of 20 launches and only one failure. The company likewise shows its willingness to innovate with the improved solid fuled Ceres 2.
This is all alongside its development of the reusable Pallas 1. Although there is some worry this maybe too ambitious. There has been few information from Galactic about both Ceres 2 and Pallas 1 development.
Pros:
Commercial company with the most launch experience / successes (20)
Attention from the national government
Cons:
Expendable rocket Ceres 1 is solid fueled.
Division of research for both the reusable Pallas 1 and expendable solid fueled Ceres 2.
Lack of VTVL experience
This company started with lots of ambitions. It was the first Chinese company to launch a liquid fueled rocket into orbit. (Landspace followed soon after).
Space Pioneer, carrying this momentum, was set to be the first to launch its reusable rocket TL3. But as everyone knows, the disastrous static fire test brought nothing but anguish for the entire commercial space sector, especially Space Pioneer.
Luckily, the company redeemed itself with the successful static fire in September of 2025.
The maiden flight was completed on April 3rd 2026.
Pros:
Successful launch of liquid fueled TL 2.
Formerly the fastest commercial company in terms of R&D
Cons:
Only one launch of TL 2
No VTVL experience
Harsh regulations and expectations after failed static fire
Likely won't be attempting landing for the first 3 launches.
Interstellar had a stellar start in the race to reusability. First commercial company to launch a payload into orbit, but that didn't last long with the repeated fails of Hyperbola 1. Leadership wavered and many executives left after the two VTVL tests, bringing their expertise to other companies.
Luckily, there seemed to be a shift in late 2024 that enabled a rapid acceleration in progress. The engine is undergoing lots of testing, so has the propellant tank with cryogenic testing, and the landing barge has been completed.
The maiden flight is scheduled for the end of 2026
Pros:
Experience with expendable Hyperbola 1
Early VTVL experimentation in 2023, but unknown how useful they were.
Completion of landing barge
Lost of hardware advances such as engine testing and propellant tank cryo tests in early 2025
Cons:
Solid fueled Hyperbola 1 is not very successful
Potential leadership problems that may have been solved in early 2025 acceleration.
Not much is know about this company, aside from the very successful VTVL test. Successful engine relight. Descent as so control the exposed and submerged engine was successfully relit.
However, the plan to only perform soft splashdowns is obviously easier than land landings.
The maiden flight is scheduled for the end of 2026
Pros:
Successful VTVL experiment which is closest to inflight conditions.
Relight of submerged VTVL engine
Cons:
No expendable rocket experience
Unclear goals for YXZ 1.
From the start, Deep Blue went straight to reusability without a expendable rocket. The early VTVL tests seem like gimmicks rather than actual tests to gain information. There have been little to no photos of Nebula 1 assembly. After the recent failure of the second advanced VTVL, which likely violated some new regulations, I do not see much hope from Deep Blue.
Pros:
Early VTVL experimentation in 2021-22, but unclear how useful they were
Almost successful 10 km VTVL with deployable landing legs
In house produced engines
Cons:
No expendable rocket experience
Failed fourth VTVL, likely triggering new regulations.
No public information of Nebula 1
CAS Space has the second most expendable rocket experience with 6 successes and 1 failure. However, the current engine layout of Kinetica 2 makes it impossible for landing, alongside the obvious question about the tri-landing design. CAS themselves has also said they will only recover a first stage in 2028.
Even if they eventually plane to "convert" Kinetica 2 to a reusable rocket, it would be a separate rocket at that point, which explains the 2028 timeline.
The maiden flight was completed on March 30th, 2026.
Pros:
Lots of experience with static fires (tested both first and second stages)
Solid fueled Kinetica 2 has 6 total successes
Identical design of all boosters allows for rapid production.
Cons:
Lack of VTVL experience
Kinetica 2 is likely an expendable rocket, and the addition of reusability will be a whole new rocket, Kinetica 3.
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