Heart Capital Congratulates LandSpace on Zhuque-3 Reusable Rocket's Successful Orbital Insertion and Recovery | HeartStar PORTFOLIO

At 7:35 a.m. Beijing time on August 19, 2026, the Zhuque-3 reusable Yao-2 carrier rocket lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone. Approximately 137 seconds after launch, the first and second stages separated, with the second stage continuing its flight to accurately deliver the Honghu-03 satellite — independently developed by Hongqing Technology — into its designated orbit. Around 7:43 a.m., the first stage successfully executed a soft landing at the Zhuque-3 landing pad in Minqin County, Gansu Province, following its programmed sequence. The flight test mission was a complete success. Yan Han, founding partner of Heart Capital, was present at the launch site to witness the event. "The faith from seven years ago — faith in LandSpace, faith in China's space program — today I heard its resounding echo at the recovery site!"

Yan Han, founding partner of Heart Capital, witnessed the launch firsthand This mission marks China's first successful recovery of a launch vehicle first stage using landing legs, and China's first ground recovery of an orbital-class launch vehicle first stage. It represents a critical flight test as the Zhuque-3 program transitions from recovery technology validation into engineering reusability verification. The mission further validated the design correctness and product reliability of the Zhuque-3 reusable launch vehicle system, confirmed the first stage recovery capability and engineering maturity, and accelerated China's commercial space sector into the engineering validation phase for reusable rockets.

After first and second stage separation, the first stage followed its programmed flight sequence into the return phase, completing in succession: high-altitude return attitude adjustment, reentry ignition for powered deceleration, aerodynamic glide control, landing ignition deceleration, and landing leg deployment and cushioning — ultimately achieving a stable touchdown on its landing legs. The mission systematically validated the entire process of returning a first stage from high-speed flight to a ground landing pad.

Building on data and engineering experience from the Zhuque-3 Yao-1 flight test, the Yao-2 mission incorporated multiple targeted optimizations for critical reusable flight phases. The landing propulsion scheme reduced the number of landing ignition engines to further simplify system design and improve reliability; the onboard autonomous safety control system added predicted impact point safety control functionality and optimized return control strategies to enhance safety and autonomous control during recovery flight; and the design for reentry's complex aerothermal environment was optimized to improve environmental adaptability and reliability during the rocket's return and reentry phase.

Tailored to this launch mission's characteristics, the Zhuque-3 Yao-2 also carried LandSpace's independently developed non-pyrotechnic stacked clamp-and-release mechanism, further validating the technical solution's performance in actual flight conditions and strongly supporting subsequent large-scale constellation deployment, batch rapid launch, and improved launch efficiency.

The Zhuque-3 is a new-generation reusable liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle independently developed by LandSpace, establishing a technical architecture for reusable launch vehicles encompassing overall design, propulsion systems, return control, stainless steel tank manufacturing, and ground support. This mission lays a solid foundation for subsequent recovery-stage inspection and maintenance, reuse flights, and commercial application. LandSpace will continue advancing reusable technology iteration and engineering validation, contributing to China's development of low-cost, high-frequency, high-reliability space transportation capabilities and providing new launch capacity support for large-scale constellation deployment and commercial launches.

Founded in 2022, Heart Capital is a venture capital fund focused on investing in early-stage Chinese technology startups.

The Heart Capital team consists primarily of founding partners and core investors from Lightspeed China Partners, alongside seasoned investors from industry backgrounds. The team's past investments include MetaX (688802.SH), Xpeng Motors (NYSE: XPEV, 09868.HK), Full Truck Alliance (NYSE: YMM), SUNMI (06810.HK), RoboSense (02498.HK), Ambiq Micro (NYSE: AMBQ), Hanshow Technology Co., Ltd. (301275.SZ), FinVolution (NYSE: FINV), HERE (NASDAQ: HERE), as well as LandSpace, MicroNano Space, Baichuan, Yunmanman Cold Chain Logistics, World Logistics, FanDeng Reading, and Lanhu.

Rooted in China with a global outlook, Heart Capital is dedicated to early-stage support for entrepreneurial teams with the potential to become world-class Chinese technology companies. Heart Capital champions the value of "heart," believing that technology can serve as a bridge connecting minds. Heart Capital looks forward to accompanying more young Chinese entrepreneurs onto the world stage.