China has gained pace in the space race by recovering rockets – but can it relaunch one?

SpaceX might have a head start in reusable rockets, but Chinese commercial space companies are exploring ways to catch up in the cost-saving tech

5-MIN READ5-MINWency Chenin Wenchang, HainanandBen Jiangin BeijingPublished: 6:00am, 18 Sep 2026As technological developments augur an era of renewed space exploration, China is aiming to become a major player. In the second part of this two-part series, Wency Chen and Ben Jiang examine the country’s strategy and progress on reusable rockets – a field where the US has a tremendous lead.

Despite a succession of breakthroughs in booster-recovery efforts in recent months, both on land and at sea, China has yet to reuse one – a stark contrast laying bare the gap between Beijing’s space ambitions and the challenges that remain.