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.
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.
The first stage “experienced an anomaly” during the landing phase and “failed to achieve a soft landing on the recovery pad,” LandSpace said in a post on social media.
“The debris landed on the edge of the recovery pad, resulting in a failed recovery test. The specific cause is under further investigation.”
