China's Starlink Response: Reusable Rockets and Satellite Constellation Race

China's state-owned CASC recovered a Long March 10B first-stage booster at sea in July, while LandSpace's Zhuque-3 booster landed softly on August 18 after a failed December attempt.

Analysts say the tests are significant steps but do not yet mean China has mastered rocket reusability, which requires multiple successful launches to prove reliability.

China launched 371 satellites in 2025 compared with SpaceX's 3,169, and Starlink accounts for about 70% of satellites in low Earth orbit.