(Yicai) Sept. 12 -- LandSpace Technology has successfully carried out the first vertical takeoff and landing test of a reusable rocket developed by a private Chinese aerospace firm, a technological breakthrough for China that positions it to take on Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Yesterday’s test of the Zhuque-3 rocket included an ascent to 10 kilometers, engine shutdown, power-off glide, in-flight engine restart, and a landing back at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, Beijing-based LandSpace announced on the same day.

It marks a breakthrough for China’s commercial space sector, opening the way to high-capacity, low-cost, high-frequency, and reusable rocket launches, according to the company.

Rocket recovery technology, led by SpaceX and its Falcon 9 vehicle, is advancing rapidly in the quest to cut launch costs, making satellite constellation projects such as Starlink more feasible. SpaceX completed its first rocket recovery with the Falcon 9 in 2015. Since then, it has carried out more than 300 launches and recovery missions to support Starlink’s deployment.

China's first reusable rocket's vertical takeoff and landing test to 10 km was conducted in June by state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 is expected to complete its official maiden flight next year, with plans to achieve full recovery and reuse of the rocket’s first stage by 2026.

A number of Chinese commercial space firms plan to build systems similar to Starlink, but rocket launch technology and cost improvements are still needed.

Rocket Launches in China cost around USD10,000 per kilogram, or about USD2 million per low-orbit communication satellite, Lin Baojun, chief designer of the nation’s Beidou-3 satellite navigation system, told Yicai. In comparison, SpaceX spends only about USD750,000 to launch a Starlink satellite, Lin added.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione