Stories of High-Quality Development | A rocket's journey of reducing costs

Narrator: Zhao Pengfei, head of the Avionics Systems Engineering Division, Rocket R&D Department, LandSpace

In 1960s, Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen raised the idea of recycling rockets in his book "Introduction to Space Flight."

If rockets could be recycled, what benefits would that bring? In short, it boils down to reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

The main cost of a rocket lies in the engine and the body, accounting for over 70 percent of the total cost. Through recovery and reuse, the cost of each launch can be spread out. However, recovering a rocket is not simple. Turning a disposable product into a reusable one requires solving a number of technical difficulties.

First, the rocket needed a highly intelligent brain. The "new brain" of a reusable rocket is called the "onboard rocket computer." LandSpace, a Chinese aerospace company, successfully drew inspiration in developing this "new brain" from autonomous driving, using automotive-grade central control chips. Building on that foundation, they carried out extensive custom development, achieving breakthroughs in several key technologies in a short time. And the cost is less than half that of traditional custom rocket computers. Second, the company equipped the rocket's engine—its heart—with throttle and braking capabilities, enabling precise thrust adjustment. They also switched the rocket's tanks from aluminum alloy to stainless steel, making it cheaper and more durable, and managed to control the increase in weight through optimal design of structure.

Now, the development of LandSpace's first reusable rocket, the Zhuque-3 reusable test rocket, is nearing completion. According to design plans, the rocket will be reused no less than 20 times. The ultimate goal of Zhuque-3 is to reduce the cost of rocket launches in China from about 100,000 yuan (about $13,928) per kilogram to around 20,000 yuan per kilogram.

Reusable technology, as a revolutionary breakthrough, transforms rockets from disposable luxury items into regular transport vehicles, ushering in a new era of efficient and cost-effective space exploration. What is more exciting is that as launch costs continue to decrease, space travel will become more accessible for ordinary people.