Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
China is well known for copying everything. They copy smartphones, shoes, cars, and almost anything that comes to mind. That reputation has followed them for decades. But when it comes to space rockets, they’ve recently been reminded that copying hardware that flies at hypersonic speeds is nothing like copying consumer electronics. Spaceflight is brutal, unforgiving, and exposes every shortcut instantly. Just days ago, China attempted to land a reusable methane-powered rocket that looks strikingly similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Starship hybrid design. The result was a dramatic failure. The booster erupted into flames during descent and slammed into the ground. It was a harsh reminder that imitation alone does not equal mastery. In this video, we’ll break down what happened, why this matters, and what it means for the future of reusable rockets. Before we dive any deeper, please make sure to subscribe to our channel for more updates like this.
The rocket belongs to the Zhuque family, developed by the Chinese private aerospace company LandSpace. Over the past few years, LandSpace has actually achieved something impressive. In 2023, its earlier Zhuque-2 rocket became the world’s first methane and liquid oxygen rocket to successfully reach orbit and deploy payloads. That alone was a major milestone, beating even SpaceX to that specific combination of fuel on an orbital rocket. They later flew an upgraded version called the Zhuque-2E several more times, with mixed results. Some missions worked, and one failed. However, all of those rockets had one major limitation. None of them were reusable. Every booster was lost after each flight.
China is well known for copying everything. They copy smartphones, shoes, cars, and almost anything that comes to mind. That reputation has followed them for decades. But when it comes to space rockets, they’ve recently been reminded that copying hardware that flies at hypersonic speeds is nothing like copying consumer electronics. Spaceflight is brutal, unforgiving, and exposes every shortcut instantly. Just days ago, China attempted to land a reusable methane-powered rocket that looks strikingly similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Starship hybrid design. The result was a dramatic failure. The booster erupted into flames during descent and slammed into the ground. It was a harsh reminder that imitation alone does not equal mastery. In this video, we’ll break down what happened, why this matters, and what it means for the future of reusable rockets. Before we dive any deeper, please make sure to subscribe to our channel for more updates like this.
The rocket belongs to the Zhuque family, developed by the Chinese private aerospace company LandSpace. Over the past few years, LandSpace has actually achieved something impressive. In 2023, its earlier Zhuque-2 rocket became the world’s first methane and liquid oxygen rocket to successfully reach orbit and deploy payloads. That alone was a major milestone, beating even SpaceX to that specific combination of fuel on an orbital rocket. They later flew an upgraded version called the Zhuque-2E several more times, with mixed results. Some missions worked, and one failed. However, all of those rockets had one major limitation. None of them were reusable. Every booster was lost after each flight.
