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" 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. 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.