In a major leap for reusable space tech, a Chinese startup has pulled off a jaw-dropping vertical sea landing of its verification rocket 🌊. The Yanxingzhe-1 (which translates to 'Pathfinder-1') descended like a sci-fi movie prop, reigniting its engines mid-air before gently touching down on waters off Shandong Province this Thursday.
Standing taller than an 8-story building and weighing 57 tonnes, the stainless steel rocket soared to 2.5km during its 125-second flight. Footage from Beijing-based Space Epoch shows the rocket hovering like a hummingbird before its textbook splash-free landing 🛰️.
This isn't just a flex for one company—China's aerospace sector is full send on reusable rockets. Earlier this year, the Zhuque-3 and another model by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology aced 10km vertical takeoff/landing tests. Meanwhile, Expace Technology and i-Space have been racking up VTOL milestones since 2023.
Why does this matter? Reusable rockets = cheaper satellite launches = faster space innovation 🚀. With global satellite internet and lunar missions heating up, China's playing the long game—and this splashdown is a major power-up.
