China becomes first to recover orbital rockets using two methods: How Zhuque-3 works

China has successfully recovered the first stage of an orbital rocket on land for the first time, marking a major step in Beijing’s efforts to develop reusable launch technology and reduce the cost of putting satellites into space.The milestone was achieved on Wednesday by Chinese private space company LandSpace, which successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket after launch, according to state media and company statements.The achievement makes LandSpace one of only a handful of companies globally to demonstrate controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster.The 66-metre Zhuque-3 lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert at around 7.35 am local time and delivered a Honghu-3 internet satellite into its designated orbit.Its nine-engine first stage then returned to Earth and landed vertically at a recovery site in Minqin county in Gansu province, around 390 km southeast of the launch site, the South China Morning…