Space Epoch, a rocket startup on the Chinese mainland, has successfully completed its first vertical sea recovery test with its verification rocket, Yanxingzhe-1. The 26.8-meter-tall stainless steel launcher touched down vertically in the waters off Shandong Province after a 125-second flight.
During its full-thrust ascent, the 57-tonne rocket, which measures 4.2 meters in diameter, reached an altitude of 2.5 kilometers. A highlight video shows Yanxingzhe-1 reigniting its engine during descent, hovering above the waves, and landing softly upright—marking a leap forward in reusable rocket technology.
Post-flight data analysis confirmed the rocket performed normally throughout the mission. Experts described the soft sea landing recovery as a success, underlining the potential for cost savings and faster turnaround in space launches.
This milestone follows a wave of reusable rocket trials on the Chinese mainland in 2024. The Zhuque-3 and another vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology completed 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing tests in the northwest region of the Chinese mainland. Expace Technology developed a test version of the Kuaizhou rocket that performed a VTOL experiment, and the SQX-2Y by i-Space completed two VTOL flight tests in 2023.
As global competition heats up, these milestones show that the private space sector on the Chinese mainland is racing ahead—building greener, reusable rockets that could reshape satellite deployment, space tourism, and beyond.
Reference(s):
Chinese commercial rocket completes vertical sea recovery test
cgtn.com
