In-Depth Analysis of Reusable Rocket Technology Gaps Between Landspace and SpaceX

Based on the latest information I have collected, I will now provide a detailed analysis of the gaps between Landspace and SpaceX in the field of reusable rockets.

On December 3, 2025, Landspace’s Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) reusable liquid oxygen methane launch vehicle successfully orbited, but the first-stage rocket recovery failed[1]. This is the first attempt at orbital-level reusable rocket recovery by China’s commercial aerospace sector; although it was not fully successful, it marks China’s official entry into the intensive exploration phase of reusable rockets[4].

• Rocket Body Diameter: 4.5 meters
• Total Rocket Length: 76.6 meters
• Propellant: Liquid Oxygen Methane
• Liftoff Thrust: Approximately 900 tons
• First-Stage Configuration: 9 Tianque-12A engines in parallel
• Second-Stage Configuration: 1 Tianque-15A vacuum engine
• Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Payload Capacity: 21.3 tons (one-time mission) / 18.3 tons (downrange recovery) / 12.5 tons (return-to-launch-site recovery)
• Designed Reuse Times: ≥20 times

The Zhuque-3 has achieved multiple technological breakthroughs in China: it is the first to realize orbital flight of a reusable liquid oxygen methane launch vehicle with a new overall layout; the first to realize the integrated application of a 9-engine parallel liquid oxygen methane propulsion system; and the first to realize flight verification of high-precision return navigation, guidance, and control technology for an orbital-level reusable launch vehicle[1].

As of December 23, 2025, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has completed an astonishing 580 launch missions, with 534 successful landings, 501 of which were reuse missions[4]. The average reuse times of the Block 5 first stage has increased from 1.67 in 2018 to 7.33 in 2024, with some boosters achieving over 20 reuses[5].

• Payload Capacity: Approximately 22.8 tons (LEO one-time) / 17.5 tons (LEO recovery)
• Engines: 9 Merlin 1D sea-level engines
• Engine Cycle: Gas Generator Cycle
• Launch Cost: Approximately $1,800-$3,000 per kg (reusable state)
• Reusability: Designed for 10-100 uses, with actual successful cases exceeding 20 times

The engine is the “heart” of a rocket, and it is also one of the areas where the gap between the two companies is most significant.

SpaceX’s Raptor engine represents the highest level of human aerospace propulsion technology currently available. The full-flow staged combustion cycle it adopts is the most advanced rocket engine cycle in the world; every drop of fuel must pass through a turbopump before entering the combustion chamber, with a combustion chamber pressure of up to 350 bar[2]. In contrast, Landspace’s Tianque series engines still use the technically less challenging gas generator cycle[3].

• Thrust: Tianque-12A (approximately 85 tons) is roughly equivalent to Merlin 1D (approximately 85 tons)
• Technological Generation: The Tianque series is equivalent to the Merlin 1D level, with a technological generation gap of approximately 10-15 years compared to the Raptor’s full-flow staged combustion
• Reliability: SpaceX engines have undergone thousands of flight verifications, while Landspace engines have only undergone limited flight verifications

This is the most intuitive area of gap between the two:

• Completed 501 rocket reuses cumulatively
• Maximum reuse times of a single booster exceeds 20 times
• Established a complete closed-loop system of “recovery - inspection - refurbishment - relaunch”
• Achieved rapid turnaround capability of “72-hour refurbishment and launch”[3]
• Marginal cost of reusable launch is only approximately $15 million, with first-stage maintenance cost of approximately $250,000[5]

• First orbital-level recovery attempt failed in December 2025
• Has not yet achieved any successful rocket recovery
• Reusable maintenance system has just begun
• Annual capacity of Hangzhou reusable rocket production base is approximately 25 launches[3]

According to CICC research, the unit payload cost of Falcon 9 in commercial mode is only approximately $3,000 per kg, while the cost of China’s active one-time rockets is approximately RMB 110-180 million per launch (approximately $15.4-$25.2 million)[4]. Zhuque-3’s target unit launch cost in downrange recovery state is approximately RMB 20,000 per kg (approximately $2,800 per kg), with still room for optimization[3].

• SpaceX: Completed approximately 324 launches, accounting for 80% of total U.S. launches and approximately 50% of global total launches[5]
• China’s Commercial Aerospace: Planned approximately 20 launches, with approximately 15 completed as of November 2025[4]

From 2019 to 2024, SpaceX’s annual launch count increased from 13 to 138, achieving a 10-fold growth[4]. This rapid increase in launch frequency is attributed to the cost reduction and launch efficiency improvement brought by reusable rockets.

• Falcon 9: Aluminum alloy rocket body
• Starship: All-stainless steel rocket body (304 stainless steel)
• Uses 3D-printed engine components
• Innovative high-strength stainless steel/laser-welded tank manufacturing process

• Zhuque-3: Uses stainless steel rocket body
• Independently developed a complete set of stainless steel tank laser welding process equipment and production lines
• Achieved an 80% significant reduction in manufacturing cost and 40% reduction in production cycle for large-diameter ultra-thin-walled stainless steel tanks compared to aluminum alloy[1]
• Uses 3D-printed engine components (in cooperation with Bolikang, Feierkang, etc.)

The gap between Landspace and SpaceX in rocket body materials is narrowing; the choice of stainless steel rocket body is consistent with Starship, representing the economic requirements of reusable rockets[4].

Both companies adopt the vertical return reverse thrust recovery method, but there are differences in specific implementations:

• Grid fins control the return trajectory
• Multiple engine ignitions for deceleration
• Landing legs for buffered landing
• Two recovery methods: offshore platform and land recovery

• First innovative adoption of the overall layout of fuel tank on top / oxygen tank at the bottom
• Uses symmetric strake wings, P-type partial swept grid fins, and streamlined landing leg fairings
• Can effectively reduce propellant consumption during return and improve payload capacity in reusable mode[1]

However, the Zhuque-3 experienced an abnormality after ignition during the landing phase, with the wreckage landing at the edge of the recovery pad, resulting in a failed recovery test[1]. This reflects that the engine deep thrust adjustment technology and return control technology still need to be improved.

It took SpaceX 5 years from its first flight (2010) to its first successful recovery (2015)[3]. China’s timeline from the first flight of Zhuque-2 (2023) to the recovery attempt of Zhuque-3 in 2025 conforms to the law of technological iteration. It is expected to have mature recovery capabilities by 2028[3].

According to the R&D plans released by multiple enterprises:

1. Engine Technology:
   • High-altitude restart stability of liquid oxygen methane engines
   • Precise thrust adjustment capability
   • Pre-research on full-flow staged combustion cycle technology

2. Reusable Maintenance System:
   • Construction of rapid inspection and maintenance capabilities
   • Benchmarking against the “72-hour refurbishment and launch” capability

3. Infrastructure:
   • Practical testing of the offshore recovery platform “Linghangzhe”
   • Improvement of adaptability to high sea conditions
   • Improvement of remote measurement and control chain

Despite the obvious gaps, China’s commercial aerospace sector is accelerating breakthroughs in reusable rocket technology with the rhythm of parallel multiple technical routes and intensive verification. Within five years (by 2030), it is expected to approach SpaceX’s level in some key indicators, but achieving full technological parity still requires overcoming core challenges such as engineering closed-loop and high-frequency reuse[3].

The gaps between Landspace and SpaceX in the field of reusable rockets are all-round, but they are narrowing rapidly:

1. Technological Generation Gap:
   There is a technological generation gap of approximately 10-15 years in engine technology; the full-flow staged combustion cycle adopted by SpaceX’s Raptor engine represents the highest level of human aerospace propulsion technology currently available.

2. Engineering Experience:
   SpaceX has over 500 reuse experiences and a complete closed-loop of “recovery - reuse - iteration”, which Landspace has not yet established.

3. Cost Control:
   The launch cost of Falcon 9 is approximately $1,800-$3,000 per kg, while the target cost of Zhuque-3 is approximately $4,200 per kg, still with an approximately 2-time gap.

4. Development Prospects:
   With the accelerated advancement of China’s satellite internet constellation construction, the demand for reusable rockets is urgent. 2025-2026 will be a critical period for intensive first flights of China’s reusable rockets, and it is expected that mature recovery capabilities will be available after 2028.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, once commented on the Zhuque-3 design, pointing out that the rocket introduces technical features from Starship such as a stainless steel rocket body and liquid oxygen methane propulsion system based on the Falcon 9 architecture; this combination is competitive in performance and cost, but at the same time emphasized that SpaceX’s Starship is still in “another league”[6]. This evaluation objectively reflects the current technological gap positioning between the two.

[1] Landspace - Zhuque-3 Reusable Y1 Launch Vehicle Successfully Orbits (https://www.landspace.com/news-detail.html?itemid=66)

[2] Wikipedia - Raptor Rocket Engine (https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/猛禽火箭發動機)

[3] Sina News - When Landspace’s First-Stage Rocket Landing Fails, Can China’s Reusable Rocket Technology Catch Up with SpaceX in Five Years? (https://news.sina.cn/bignews/insight/2026-01-16/detail-inhhncwv6956507.d.html)

[4] CICC Research Department - Satellite Internet #05: Commercial Rockets - A New Force in Aerospace Launch, Reusability Ushering in the Era of Low-Cost Aerospace (https://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/stockzmt/2025-12-05/doc-infzswwi9814330.shtml)

[5] Sinolink Securities - Commercial Aerospace Industry Research: Entering the Golden Development Period from 0 to 1 (https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H301_AP202601051815317517_1.pdf)

[6] RFI - China’s Landspace Challenges Musk’s SpaceX to Build a Reusable Rocket System (https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20251229-中国蓝箭航天挑战马斯克spacex-打造可重复使用火箭体系)