The United States is still the only country in the world to successfully return an orbital-class booster, though China is still vying for the second spot with other upcoming launches.
The reusable rocket, designed by the Beijing-based commercial space company LandSpace, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China’s northwest at noon on Wednesday.
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After reaching a low-Earth orbit, the first stage of the rocket – the lower section that lifts the vehicle off the ground – appeared to catch fire in the air before crashing near the target recovery site.
Chinese commercial and state-owned space developers have been racing to launch the country’s first reusable rocket, a technology that is currently dominated by the US.
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Reusable rocket technology was pioneered by SpaceX, which achieved the world’s first rocket landing after an orbital mission almost a decade ago with the Falcon 9.
