The new year has not started well for China, with two failures among its first six launches. Even so, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year, with numerous new launch vehicles — including several reusable designs — expected to debut, and a realistic prospect of the country’s first propulsive landing of an orbital-class booster.
The damaged Shenzhou 20 spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed, while two other crew capsule programs have continued ground and suborbital testing. China also continues to expand its spaceports and advance the infrastructure and launch vehicles that will underpin its lunar exploration program.
Recent launch failures
China finished 2025 with a record 92 orbital launches, up from 68 the year before, but just short of the goal of 100. The year saw the Guowang and Qianfan constellations begin to grow, although there were setbacks for some of China’s commercial launch providers, with failures of Landspace’s third ZhuQue-2E mission in August and Galactic Energy’s Gushenxing-1 launch in November.
Gushenxing-2 (Ceres-2) in the assembly building (Credit: Galactic Energy)
Galactic Energy suffered another launch failure this month, just two days after its Gushenxing-1, or Ceres-1, series returned to flight on Jan. 15. The sea-launched Gushenxing-1S had successfully lofted four Internet of Things satellites into low-Earth orbit from off the shore of Rizhao. However, the maiden launch of the company’s Gushenxing-2 saw the vehicle quickly veer off course after leaving the pad on Jan. 17. The launcher crashed back to the ground at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), with the loss of the eight payloads on board.
This wasn’t the first failure of the year, however, and took place just twelve hours after a Chang Zheng 3B/E (CZ-3B) launched from Xichang. A rare anomaly on its third stage resulted in the loss of the experimental Shijian 32 spacecraft on board. The CZ-3B has been active for almost 30 years and flew its 100th mission back in December 2024. For a usually reliable workhorse, this anomaly was notably the variant’s first failure since April 2020. The third stage was also the cause of its previous failure — an issue with engine start-up — and two other partial failures in prior years.
Until the root cause is clearer, it’s unclear how wide the grounding or impact might be on other related vehicles. The same stage is used on each of the three variants in the Chang Zheng 3 series, as well as the CZ-8 and CZ-7A. This cryogenic upper stage uses the YF-75 engine, burning liquid hydrogen and oxygen, making it highly efficient in the vacuum of space.
While Shijian 32 failed to reach orbit, two other experimental spacecraft in the series, Shijian 21 and 25, have finally separated following what is assumed to have been a docking and refueling demonstration. Launched in October 2021 and January 2025, respectively, the pair had remained in close proximity in a geostationary orbit since last summer.
Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-13 lifts off aboard the 100th launch of a Chang Zheng-3B in December 2024 (Credit: CCTV)
There are plenty of new launchers edging closer to the launch pad in the coming months, as China’s commercial launch startups continue to transition to liquid propellants. Launches from China typically slow down around this time of year until after the Spring Festival, a major national holiday celebrating Chinese New Year, which runs from Feb. 17th to Feb. 23rd.
Shenzhou 20 returns home uncrewed as other capsules undergo testing
The compromised Shenzhou 20 capsule undocked from the Tiangong space station and returned to Earth uncrewed – the first time a Shenzhou craft has done so since Shenzhou 8, an uncrewed test mission, in 2011. It landed safely at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Jan. 19 at 01:34 UTC.
Two months after returning home aboard the Shenzhou 21 spacecraft, Shenzhou 20’s commander, Chen Dong, noted in a press event that a triangular crack, approximately 2 centimeters long, had been spotted in a port window during a final pre-return check on Nov. 4. Located on the outermost glass pane, the crack, which the Commander compared to paint on the surface, ran through each of the three layers of the glass. Images were taken from inside and outside the station using the station’s robotic arm.
Shenzhou 20 capsule after successful landing (Credit: CAST)
After transmitting these images to the ground and running simulations, the craft was deemed unfit to return with its crew. As China’s first emergency response unfolded, the crew instead returned in the Shenzhou 21 craft, which had recently arrived at the station. Shenzhou 21 landed on Nov. 14, with the crew accompanied by four mice that had stayed aboard the station for two weeks longer than planned. Shenzhou 22 launched uncrewed later in November to serve as a lifeboat and eventual return vehicle for the crew who launched aboard Shenzhou 21, and remains docked at Tiangong.
Chief designer Jia Shijin has suggested that the damage was likely caused by a high-velocity micrometeoroid or a piece of orbital debris less than one millimeter in size. The window was covered shortly after landing to preserve it for later assessment.
Meanwhile, the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft has already arrived at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in preparation for the program’s next mission, and is awaiting its ride to space – a Chang Zheng 2F vehicle which will soon follow.
InterstellOr’s ChuangYeZhe-1 (CYZ-1) capsule during testing of its retro-thrust system (Credit: InterstellOR)
Another capsule also returned to Earth this month – but from a far shorter distance. A test article for InterstellOr’s ChuangYeZhe (CYZ-1) underwent a drop test from a height of three meters to verify its retro-thrust system. The capsule is similar to Blue Origin’s New Shepard and, like the American spacecraft, uses thrusters to provide a smoother landing for its occupants. CYZ-1, whose name translates as Pioneer or Trailblazer, will carry up to six passengers on suborbital missions.
A reusable booster will loft the capsule to around 70 km before separating. After separation, the capsule will coast towards its apogee, crossing the Kármán Line before descending. It will then return to Earth under parachute, with flights lasting around 20 minutes. The capsule has a slightly wider four-meter diameter than New Shepard, with more internal volume. Two uncrewed test flights are expected before the end of 2028, after which it will conduct its first crewed mission.
CAS Space launched its Lihong-1 suborbital vehicle to 120 km this month, during which its payload used around five minutes of microgravity to conduct additive printing of metal. The samples produced returned to Earth by parachute and were recovered for analysis by the CAS Institute of Mechanics. The flight used an expendable solid first stage.
Lihong-1 vehicle ascends (left) and recovered capsule (right) (Credit: CAS Space)
This month, the company also test-fired its 30-ton Kinecore-1 engine, which burns liquid kerosene and liquid oxygen. The engine was first static-fired last June, three of which will power the reusable Lihong-2. The company plans to conduct a 100. km vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTVL) test for the vehicle later this year.
Plans for another reusable cargo spacecraft to service the Tiangong Space Station and perhaps a future lunar gateway outpost were published in a Spacecraft Engineering report this month. They detail a two-module configuration, with a reusable module that returns to Earth and a single-use propulsion module. With demand for the Tiangong station growing to more than 500 kg per month for food, supplies, and experiments, China needs a next-generation cargo vehicle that focuses on bidirectional transport.
The current Tianzhou craft are one-way expendable transporters, whereas this new design would support returning space-manufactured goods and experiments back to Earth. While the cargo capacity of this new design is lower than that of the Tianzhou, this is balanced by reusability and the ability to return cargo from the station.
Left: Proposed cargo capsule. Right: In-Flight abort and one of several proposed Mengzhou-1 mission patches. (Credit: Spaceflight Engineering/CMSA)
The new craft would be designed to be used at least 10 times and to stay in orbit for up to a year. It would have a launch mass of 10 tons, with an upbound cargo capacity of 3,500 kg, and a downmass of 2,500 kg. These values are lower than what SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon can support to the International Space Station.
Preparations continue for crewed Lunar missions
As the United States prepares to launch its Artemis II mission to the Moon, the China Manned Space Agency presses on with its own lunar program. Rumors across the industry suggest that a significant test could take place around Feb. 11. This is expected to be a Max-Q abort test for the Mengzhou (“dream vessel“) spacecraft.
Mengzhou is the next-generation crewed spacecraft that will succeed Shenzhou for deep space missions, including to the Moon. The first uncrewed Mengzhou craft is currently expected to launch in 2028.
Lanyue lander prototype undergoing testing in August 2025 (Credit: CAST)
The shortened Chang Zheng 10 (CZ-10) test article, seen at Pad 301 of the Wenchang Space Launch Center (WSLC), is understood to be the same one that conducted static fire testing on this same pad last August and September. A CZ-10B cargo version, which is the first stage of the CZ-10A single-core variant, was announced last August. The CZ-10B will eventually be reusable and, according to a presentation last month, is now expected to fly its first demonstration mission before the summer.
CZ-10B’s introduction will precede the debut of the heavier-lift CZ-10, which will support China’s lunar missions. This vehicle is not expected to fly until next year, when it will carry the first Lanyue lunar lander demonstration flight. A prototype for this lander conducted a series of takeoff and landing tests last August.
The launch pad and tower have been constructed in preparation for CZ-10, with water deluge tests conducted this month. A single-booster CZ-10A is expected to launch from this pad sometime in 2026.
Unsuccessful landing attempts for CZ-12 and ZhuQue-3
The reusable Chang Zheng 12A (CZ-12A) embarked on its maiden flight from JSLC in December. A month on, preparations are progressing for its sibling’s debut. The CZ-12B underwent a successful 20-second static fire test on Jan. 18. This 4.2 m diameter vehicle will be propelled by nine Lingyun-70 engines burning liquid methane and oxygen, in contrast to the kerosene-powered CZ-12A. It is also designed to be reusable.
Chang Zheng 12B being transported (Credit: CALT/CASC)
During its maiden flight, the CZ-12A encountered issues relighting its engines during the booster’s reentry. With only two engines restarting of a planned three, the vehicle missed its landing pad by two kilometers and impacted the ground.
December also saw the maiden flight of Landspace’s ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3), which, like the CZ-12A, made an unsuccessful attempt to land the first stage. This mission experienced issues during the final burn of its ‘1-5-1’ engine ignition sequence at landing, but had accurately navigated back to its landing pad prior to the failure.
Landspace has not officially announced a second flight of the ZQ-3, but it could occur as early as April. Images of at least two ZQ-3 first stages have appeared in Chinese media, and three vehicles are understood to be in various stages of production.
The company is already planning to develop an upgraded ZQ-3A and a second launch pad at JSLC to support future high-frequency reusability. Between these pads and two assembly plants, Landspace intends to scale production to at least 20 rockets per year, ideally 30. Similar in size and payload capacity to the Falcon 9, the ZQ-3 is made of stainless steel, with engines that incorporate 3D-printed components. According to its chief designer, Zhu Xiaodong, different recovery modes, including on a sea platform and via a launch tower, are being explored.
Landspace’s ZhuQue-3 successfully launches from Jiuquan on Dec. 3 (Credit: Landspace)
New commercial vehicles step toward maiden launches
The first half of 2026 is expected to see several new launchers come online. Several had previously been expected to make their maiden flights in the last quarter of 2025. These include Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 and Galactic Energy’s Zhishenxing-1 (Pallas-1), both of which have been assembled for flight at Jiuquan. Tianlong-3 has already been at Jiuquan for two months, and was seen in a vertical position at the launch site last year. It was briefly returned to the assembly building in mid-December and was seen vertical again on Jan. 19.
While many of China’s new launcher designs resemble SpaceX’s Falcon 9, incorporating landing legs and grid fins, this vehicle is among the most similar in height and engine layout, with nine Tianhuo-12 engines powering its first stage. These burn the same combination of liquid kerosene and oxygen as SpaceX’s Merlin engines. Space Pioneer claims the rocket has the largest lightweight all-carbon-fiber payload fairing in China, capable of accommodating 36 internet satellites.
Deep Blue Aerospace’s Xingyun-1 (Nebula-1) is expected to make its first flight after the Spring Festival, launching from the new Pad 1 on Lianli Island, which has been designed to support liquid-propellant rockets. This new offshore spaceport is situated near Wenchang, and Xingyun-1’s first launch could feature an attempt at a splashdown recovery. The new launch pad is nearing completion, and other launch pads under construction will support CZ-12 and other commercial vehicles.
The Xingyun prototype performed a near-perfect five-kilometer hop at Jiuquan in September 2024, but a software issue caused a premature engine cutoff and a hard landing on the pad. A second attempt last summer crashed less than a kilometer from the pad, delaying the vehicle’s maiden flight.
Xingyun-1 (Nebula-1) ahead of transportation to Haiyang Launch Center (Credit: CCTV)
Space Epoch’s reusable Yuanxingzhe 1 (or XYZ-1) is expected to fly from Haiyang toward the end of the year, with a water recovery of its first stage also planned for the debut missions. The recovered stage will be returned to Hangzhou, as was the case last year with a test article.
The first prototype of the Qingzhou lightweight cargo supply craft has also been delayed to the end of the year. This is currently undergoing systems integration testing, but the delay could mean it misses or delays the debut of the Lijian-2 (Kinetica-2) launch vehicle.
At Wenchang, iSpace conducted tests with the transporter-erector for its Shuang Quxian-3 (SQX-3, also known as Hyperbola-3) last month. SQX-3 is another rocket with a design similar to Falcon 9, incorporating grid fins that iSpace has already flight-proven on its smaller SQX-1 solid rocket. Rather than supporting a propulsive landing on that vehicle, they instead provide aerodynamic control to steer spent stages toward safe ocean splashdown zones during reentry.
Offshore spaceport on Lianli island near Haiyang Launch Center (Credit: CCTV)
The SQX-3 had been scheduled for launch no earlier than March, but could now be delayed into the second half of the year. The company unveiled its own droneship last summer, suggesting the SQX-3 might become the first Chinese launcher to attempt to land on a marine asset.
Wenchang’s Commercial Pads 3 and 4 are nearing completion and will support the CZ-8A, CZ-10B, and the recently announced CZ-10C, which is thought to be the CZ-10B with a different first stage. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) has since confirmed that Pad 4 will be dedicated to the CZ-10 series.
With other designs, such as Orienspace’s Yinli-2 (Gravity-2), now expected to debut at the end of the year, the number of new rockets launched from China in 2026 could, with favorable conditions, approach double figures.
(Lead image: ZhuQue-3 ascends on its maiden launch on Dec. 3, 2025. Credit: Landspace )
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