China’s LandSpace beats SpaceX with steel-booster recovery after orbital launch

In a global first, China’s leading commercial rocket company LandSpace has recovered a stainless-steel booster after an orbital launch, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to develop lower-cost, reusable rockets. The successful mission makes Zhuque-3 China’s first commercial rocket to both reach orbit and have its first stage recovered. SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster, which is also made of stainless steel, is awaiting US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its first...