Basic vocabulary HSK5+
| Term | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 回收 | huíshōu | recover; retrieve |
| 发射 | fāshè | launch |
| 突破 | tūpò | breakthrough |
| 推迟 | tuīchí | postpone; delay |
| 差距 | chājù | gap; difference |
| 民营企业 | mínyíng qǐyè | private enterprise |
| 难点 | nándiǎn | difficulty; challenging part |
| 燃料 | ránliào | fuel |
| 发射场 | fāshèchǎng | launch site |
| 探测 | tàncè | explore; detect |
Industry terms and phrases to know
| Term | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 朱雀三号 | Zhūquè Sānhào | Zhuque-3 (LandSpace reusable launch vehicle) |
| 运载火箭 | yùnzài huǒjiàn | launch vehicle; carrier rocket |
| 一子级 | yī zǐ jí | first stage (of a rocket) |
| 着陆腿 | zhuólù tuǐ | landing legs |
| 陆地回收 | lùdì huíshōu | land recovery (recovering a rocket on the ground) |
| 可重复使用 | kě chóngfù shǐyòng | reusable |
| 液氧甲烷 | yèyǎng jiǎwán | liquid oxygen and methane (rocket propellant) |
| 可控回收 | kěkòng huíshōu | controlled recovery |
| 网系回收 | wǎng xì huíshōu | net-based recovery (catching a booster in a net) |
2026 年 8 月 19 日早上 7 时 35 分，中国公司蓝箭航天发射了一枚叫朱雀三号的运载火箭。这是它的第二次飞行，新闻里写作「遥二」。火箭一子级按预定程序回到地面，成功完成陆地回收。这是中国首次用着陆腿回收可重复使用火箭的一子级。官方说，这是一项重大突破。
English translation
At 7:35 a.m. on August 19, 2026, the Chinese company LandSpace launched a launch vehicle called Zhuque-3. This was its second flight (news reports write "Yao-2"). The rocket's first stage returned to the ground on schedule and completed a land recovery. This was the first time China used landing legs to recover a reusable rocket's first stage. Officials called it a major breakthrough.
在此之前，中国已经在海上做过火箭回收试验。今年 7 月 11 日，中国第一次在海上完成可控回收，并用了「网系回收」技术。不过，这次陆地回收仍然很重要。报道说，可重复使用火箭的难点不只是「上得去」，更在于「回得来、落得准」。
English translation
Before this, China had already tested rocket recovery at sea. On July 11 this year, China completed its first controlled recovery at sea, using "net-based recovery." Still, this land recovery was important. Reports say the hard part of reusable rockets is not just getting up, but coming back and landing accurately.
这次发射原本定在 8 月 11 日。8 月 10 日，海南文昌发射场有另一枚火箭发射失败，朱雀三号因此推迟到 8 月 19 日。
English translation
This launch had originally been set for August 11. On August 10, another rocket failed at the Wenchang launch site in Hainan, so Zhuque-3 was postponed to August 19.
朱雀三号是一枚低成本、可重复使用的新火箭，燃料是液氧甲烷。它全长 66.1 米，起飞重量 570 吨。负责人说，这种燃料一般只占发射成本的 1% 到 3%，而一子级成本约占整枚火箭的 70%。所以，重复使用的次数越多，单次发射成本就越低。
English translation
Zhuque-3 is a new low-cost, reusable rocket. Its fuel is liquid oxygen and methane. It is 66.1 meters long and weighs 570 tons at liftoff. A project leader said this fuel usually accounts for only 1% to 3% of launch cost, while the first stage makes up about 70% of the whole rocket. So the more times it is reused, the lower the cost per launch.
路透社报道，蓝箭航天是继马斯克的 SpaceX 和贝索斯的蓝色起源（Blue Origin）之后，第三家做到火箭陆地回收的民营企业。分析人士认为，这次成功缩小了中美在可重复使用火箭上的差距。
English translation
Reuters reported that LandSpace is the third private company to land-recover a rocket, after Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin. Analysts say this success narrows the gap between China and the United States in reusable rockets.
同一天，嫦娥七号也在准备发射，目标是探测月球南极。
English translation
On the same day, Chang'e-7 was also preparing to launch, with the goal of exploring the Moon's south pole.
一句话概括：8 月 19 日，蓝箭航天的朱雀三号第一次在中国完成一子级陆地回收。和海上回收不同，这次是用着陆腿落回地面；因为一子级最贵，重复使用以后，发射成本会明显下降。
English translation
In one sentence: on August 19, LandSpace's Zhuque-3 completed China's first land recovery of a first stage. Unlike recovery at sea, this time it came down on landing legs; because the first stage is the expensive part, reuse will bring launch costs down.
Questions
- 这次朱雀三号回收，和 7 月 11 日的海上回收有什么不同？
- 文章为什么说火箭「重复使用次数越多，发射成本越低」？请用文中的数字说明。
- 蓝箭航天这次成功，在中美航天竞争中意味着什么？
Source
Original article: 【视频】中国首次实现火箭陆地回收 — 联合早报