LandSpace is a Beijing-based private Chinese launch company, founded in 2015, that flies two rocket families burning liquid oxygen and liquid methane (LOX/LCH4): the Zhuque-2E and the reusable Zhuque-3. The Zhuque-2 series reached its tenth flight overall on 14 October. LandSpace’s news items from 14 May to 14 October 2026 list five launches. On 19 August, the second Zhuque-3 flight landed its first stage on legs in Gansu Province.
Founder and CEO Zhang Changwu says on the About page that LandSpace is committed to fully reusable launch vehicle systems and to making human spaceflight more like aviation. LandSpace’s English pages do not state launch prices, an order backlog, or its initial public offering (IPO) status.
LandSpace at a Glance
LandSpace is a private Chinese rocket company. Its news items from 14 May to 14 October 2026 list five launches: four on Zhuque-2E and one on the reusable Zhuque-3. The English site names it LandSpace Technology Co., Ltd., a company focused on medium and large LOX/LCH4 launch vehicles. Its homepage tagline is “Creator of Commercial Space Transportation Systems.”
LandSpace was founded in 2015 and lists three sites: a Beijing research and development (R&D) center, a Xi’an R&D sub-center and a Yangtze River Delta regional center. LandSpace’s stated goal is an industrial chain covering research and development, manufacturing, testing and launching. Its homepage also claims the “1st Methane-fueled Rocket Launched into Orbit from This Planet.”
All times below are Beijing time (UTC+8, eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time), as LandSpace publishes them.
| Date (Beijing time) | Vehicle | Payload and result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May 2026, 11:00 | Zhuque-2E Y5 | 2.8-tonne customized test payload; second stage reached its planned 900 km orbit | LandSpace news item |
| 9 Jun 2026, 16:23 | Zhuque-2E Y6 | Qianfan DTC 01 and China Mobile 02 satellites placed in orbit; eighth Zhuque-2 flight | LandSpace news item |
| 19 Aug 2026, 07:35 | Zhuque-3 Y2 | Honghu-03 satellite placed in its planned orbit; first stage landed on legs | LandSpace news item |
| 15 Sep 2026, 14:26 | Zhuque-2E Y7 | Ten Qianfan polar-orbit group 19 satellites placed in orbit; ninth Zhuque-2 flight | LandSpace news item |
| 14 Oct 2026, 19:40 | Zhuque-2E Y4 | Ten satellites on one rocket; tenth Zhuque-2 flight | LandSpace news item |
Zhuque-3 Y2 also completed a static fire on 29 June 2026, which LandSpace says finished all key ground verification before launch. The serial numbers are out of order: Y4 flew in October, after Y7 flew in September. Place each flight in sequence by its date.
Zhuque-2E as the Operational Workhorse
Zhuque-2E is LandSpace’s operational medium rocket, and LandSpace describes it as China’s main operational medium LOX-methane launch vehicle. LandSpace rates it at 6 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO) and 4 tonnes to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). After the 15 September flight, LandSpace said it has made Zhuque-2E a routine commercial launch vehicle.
LandSpace’s own figures for the rocket differ between pages. The English product page lists Zhuque-2 and the Y5 launch notice covers Zhuque-2E, so the two columns may describe different variants:
| Specification | Zhuque-2 product page | Zhuque-2E Y5 notice (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 3.35 m | 3.35 m |
| Fairing | 3.35 m | 4.2 m maximum diameter |
| Length | Not listed | About 55.9 m |
| Liftoff mass | 264 t | 267 t (without payload) |
| Liftoff thrust | 327 t | 338 t |
| Capacity | 6,000 kg to 200 km LEO; 4,000 kg to 500 km SSO | Not listed |
| First-stage engines | Not listed | Four TQ-12A at 828 kN sea-level thrust each |
| Second-stage engine | Not listed | One TQ-15A at 858 kN vacuum thrust |
The Y5 notice lists 11 t more thrust than the product page (338 minus 327). It says each first-stage engine gained 108 kN and a new thrust self-correction function. If you are comparing launch vehicles, note which LandSpace page each figure comes from.
The product page also claims propellant costs are cut by 50 to 90 percent. It says the number of part types in the whole rocket fell by 50 percent. LandSpace does not publish the cost basis behind either figure.
Changes on Zhuque-2E Y6
The 9 June flight brought four hardware changes, according to LandSpace:
- Stage separation uses the same pneumatic push-rod method as Zhuque-3, which uses fewer pyrotechnics and can be function-tested before launch.
- The second-stage engine mount is a one-piece 3D-printed structure.
- The second-stage engine throttles down to 50 percent late in flight, which cuts acceleration for delicate payloads.
- The engine regulating controller is a LandSpace product.
Cadence and Qianfan Constellation Work
LandSpace’s news items from 14 May to 14 October 2026 show Zhuque-2E carrying Qianfan satellites twice. Y6 carried Qianfan DTC 01 in June, and LandSpace presented that flight as part of China’s national satellite-internet project. Y7 in September carried ten Qianfan polar-orbit group 19 satellites, which LandSpace calls the series’ first scaled satellite-internet constellation deployment. See Qianfan vs Starlink and China Satellite Constellations for the networks these satellites serve.
The gaps between Zhuque-2E flights in 2026 show the cadence:
- 14 May to 9 June: 26 days, as LandSpace states.
- 9 June to 15 September: 98 days (21 days left in June, plus 31 in July, 31 in August and 15 in September).
- 15 September to 14 October: 29 days.
The 14 October flight carried ten satellites as a rideshare. Eight came from Guoxing Aerospace (Xingshidai-39 and Xingshidai-44 to 50) to test high-performance computing payloads, laser communication and large radiative-cooling solar wings. The other two were Guangchuan-03 and 04, laser data-relay test satellites built by LandBlue Intelligence, the satellite-networking arm LandSpace points to.
Zhuque-3 Reusable Rocket and the Y2 Landing
Zhuque-3 is LandSpace’s reusable LOX-methane rocket, and its second flight on 19 August 2026 recovered the first stage on land. LandSpace describes Zhuque-3 as China’s first stainless-steel launch vehicle, with a 4.5 m body diameter, built to serve satellite-internet launches. Height, mass and thrust figures differ between sources, so Zhuque-3 Explained covers them.
Zhuque-3 Y2 lifted off at 07:35 Beijing time (23:35 UTC on 18 August) from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone. The stages separated about 137 seconds after liftoff. The second stage carried the Honghu-03 satellite, built by Hongqing Technology, to its planned orbit.
At about 07:41 the first stage made a soft landing at the Zhuque-3 landing field in Minqin County, Gansu Province. LandSpace calls this China’s first first-stage recovery using landing legs and China’s first land recovery of an orbital-class first stage. LandSpace lists the return sequence in five steps:
- High-altitude attitude adjustment.
- Re-entry burn to slow down.
- Aerodynamic glide control.
- Landing burn to slow down.
- Landing-leg deployment and cushioning.
LandSpace says three changes followed the Y1 flight. Y2 used fewer engines for the landing burn. The onboard autonomous flight-safety system gained a predicted-impact-point range-safety function and an improved return control strategy, and the stage got better protection against re-entry force and heating. Y2 also carried LandSpace’s non-pyrotechnic stack compression and release device.
LandSpace says the flight moves Zhuque-3 from recovery technology verification into engineering-reuse verification. Inspection, refurbishment and reflight are the next steps. LandSpace’s news item does not give a reflight date. For the full Y1-to-Y2 story, read Zhuque-3 Explained, and compare designs in Zhuque-3 vs Starship and China Reusable Rockets.
Zhuque-2E vs Zhuque-3 for Satellite Operators
Zhuque-2E is LandSpace’s routine commercial launcher, while Zhuque-3 is in reuse verification after one landing. The table uses only figures LandSpace publishes.
| Criterion | Zhuque-2E | Zhuque-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Propellant | LOX/LCH4 | LOX/LCH4 |
| Body diameter | 3.35 m | 4.5 m |
| Published capacity | 6 t to LEO; 4 t to 500 km SSO | See Zhuque-3 Explained |
| Launches in news items, 14 May to 14 Oct 2026 | Four | One |
| Reuse | Not covered on the LandSpace pages read | First stage landed on 19 August 2026; reflight date unpublished |
| Status in LandSpace’s words | Routine commercial launch | Engineering-reuse verification |
Pick Zhuque-2E if you want the vehicle LandSpace describes as routine commercial launch, with four flights in its news items from 14 May to 14 October 2026. Pick Zhuque-3 to follow if you track reusable launch in China, since its next milestone is a reflight of a recovered stage. Neither column helps a buyer comparing prices, because LandSpace does not publish launch prices for either rocket.
The TQ-12A Methane Engine
The TQ-12A, also called TianQue, is the 80-ton-class LOX/LCH4 engine that powers the first stage of Zhuque-2E. LandSpace says it was verified through a twice-ignition test and designed for reuse.
| Specification | TQ-12A |
|---|---|
| Sea-level thrust | 84.6 t |
| Sea-level specific impulse | 293 s |
| Mixture ratio | 2.9 |
| Nozzle area ratio | 20.5 |
| Diameter | 2.03 m |
| Height | 2.2 m |
Compared with the earlier TQ-12, LandSpace says the TQ-12A has 9 percent more thrust and 40 m/s more specific impulse, and it is 100 kg lighter. It adds tank-head start, thrust adjustment and high-precision mixture-ratio control. LandSpace’s 100th LOX-methane engine came off the line in 2025. Engine data is on the LandSpace website.
Company Milestones from 2015 to 2025
LandSpace’s About page lists a year-by-year record from its founding in 2015 to the first orbital Zhuque-3 flight in 2025.
| Year | Milestone listed by LandSpace |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Company founded, among the earliest Chinese commercial rocket companies |
| 2018 | Zhuque-1 launched on 27 October, China’s first private-sector rocket launch; Zhuque-2 announced; first private rocket-engine hot-test stand built in Huzhou |
| 2019 | Full-system test of the TianQue 80-ton LOX-methane engine, described as China’s first high-thrust methane engine |
| 2021 | Jiaxing rocket intelligent manufacturing base completed; LOX-methane launch pad completed at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center |
| 2022 | Zhuque-2 Y1 first flight |
| 2023 | Zhuque-2 Y2 reached orbit in July, which LandSpace calls the world’s first LOX-methane rocket in orbit; Zhuque-2 Y3 also succeeded |
| 2024 | Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 ten-kilometer-class vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL) test; shared National Science and Technology Progress Award (second class); Zhuque-2E Y1 orbited Guangchuan 01 and 02 |
| 2025 | 100th LOX-methane engine produced; Zhuque-2E Y2 orbited six satellites; nine-engine ground firing of the Zhuque-3 first stage; Zhuque-3 Y1 reached orbit |
LandSpace also lists honors it claims as firsts. They include China’s first private launch order and the first privately built launch pad for liquid rockets. LandSpace also calls itself the only Chinese company whose self-developed engine and launch vehicle have both passed flight verification. The About page says LandSpace was the first Chinese private company to obtain all required admission qualifications for launch vehicles. For launch site background, see Chinese Launch Sites.
What LandSpace Sells
LandSpace sells launch services and space system work in two groups on its English site. The first group covers commercial space transportation and flight experiment services:
- Space mission analysis and design.
- Provision of independent launch facilities.
- Space engineering tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C).
- Specialized space insurance placement.
- Customized financial solutions.
- Launch mission technical support and execution.
The second group covers comprehensive space system solutions. It includes subsystem units and components, customized development of space systems, and services from requirements to applications. Launch vehicle and spacecraft development also sits in this group. LandSpace does not publish launch prices on the pages read.
How to Read LandSpace’s Public Record
LandSpace’s own pages report its flights, vehicle figures, engine data and milestones, and they do not state launch prices, order backlog, financials or IPO status. Most claims here come straight from LandSpace news items or its About and product pages. Phrases such as “world’s first LOX-methane rocket to reach orbit” are LandSpace’s own descriptions.
LandSpace’s English pages do not state:
- Launch prices or cost per kilogram.
- Order backlog or contract values.
- Financial results, valuation or IPO status.
- Headcount.
- A Zhuque-3 reflight date.
Those figures have to come from LandSpace or the exchange directly. Two events would change this picture: a published Zhuque-3 reflight, or a public price list for Zhuque-2E. For the wider field of Chinese private launchers, see Chinese Commercial Space Companies and the China Space Program overview.
Start with the LandSpace newsroom on landspace.com to see whether Zhuque-3 Y2 has flown again or a new Zhuque-2E flight has been added.