China LandSpace Reusable Rocket Achieves First Stage Recovery on Land

China LandSpace Reusable Rocket Achieves First Stage Recovery on Land

🚀China achieved its first recovery of a rocket's first stage on land after launching and recovering part of the Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on Wednesday morning, Aug. 19, 2026. The Landspace Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) Y2 rocket blasted off at 07:35 (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China, placing the Honghu03 satellite into its designated orbit. The flight mission was a complete success.

This mission followed the successful sea-based net recovery of the China Long March-10B rocket's first stage on July 10.

Today marked China's first successful land-based controlled recovery of a rocket's first stage using deployable landing legs, highlighting a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology.

Approximately 137 seconds after lift-off, the first and second stages separated. The second stage continued its flight and successfully delivered the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its assigned orbit. At approximately 07:41, the first stage performed a successful soft touchdown at the LandSpace Landing Site#1 in Minqin County, Gansu Province, following the planned trajectory.

The Landspace ZhuQue-3 Y2 reusable launch vehicle achieved full success in orbital insertion and first-stage recovery with the power of its nine TQ-12A engines.

🎉This is China's first successful flight verification of land recovery for the first stage of a reusable launch vehicle, as well as its first successful verification of a landing using deployable landing legs.

The Honghu 03 satellite will trial its unfoldable thermal radiator, sizeable solar panels, electric propulsion system, and a 100-gigabit optical laser link ahead of mass production for connectivity constellations. 

This Landspace mission was the 2nd for the partially reusable Zhuque-3, and LandSpace’s 10th orbital launch attempt in the company’s history. This was also the 59th launch from China in 2026.

Image Credits: Landspace, CGTN
Date: Aug. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #InternetSatellites #Honghu03Satellite #HongqingTechnology #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #ZQ3 #Zhuque3Y2Rocket #ReusableRockets #JSLC #InnerMongolia #Gansu #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #History

China LandSpace Reusable Rocket Achieves First Stage Recovery on Land

China LandSpace Reusable Rocket Achieves First Stage Recovery on Land

🚀China achieved its first recovery of a rocket's first stage on land after launching and recovering part of the Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on Wednesday morning, Aug. 19, 2026. The Landspace Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) Y2 rocket blasted off at 07:35 (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China, placing the Honghu03 satellite into its designated orbit. The flight mission was a complete success.

This mission followed the successful sea-based net recovery of the China Long March-10B rocket's first stage on July 10.

Today marked China's first successful land-based controlled recovery of a rocket's first stage using deployable landing legs, highlighting a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology.

Approximately 137 seconds after lift-off, the first and second stages separated. The second stage continued its flight and successfully delivered the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its assigned orbit. At approximately 07:41, the first stage performed a successful soft touchdown at the LandSpace Landing Site#1 in Minqin County, Gansu Province, following the planned trajectory.

The Landspace ZhuQue-3 Y2 reusable launch vehicle achieved full success in orbital insertion and first-stage recovery with the power of its nine TQ-12A engines.

🎉This is China's first successful flight verification of land recovery for the first stage of a reusable launch vehicle, as well as its first successful verification of a landing using deployable landing legs.

The Honghu 03 satellite will trial its unfoldable thermal radiator, sizeable solar panels, electric propulsion system, and a 100-gigabit optical laser link ahead of mass production for connectivity constellations. 

This Landspace mission was the 2nd for the partially reusable Zhuque-3, and LandSpace’s 10th orbital launch attempt in the company’s history. This was also the 59th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 25 seconds
Date: Aug. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #InternetSatellites #Honghu03Satellite #HongqingTechnology #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #ZQ3 #Zhuque3Y2Rocket #ReusableRockets #JSLC #InnerMongolia #Gansu #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video 

SpaceX Falcon 9 Crater on The Moon | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

SpaceX Falcon 9 Crater on The Moon | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

This two-frame animation shows a new crater appearing on the Moon with ejecta rays extending outward. This is an animated before-and-after view of the crater formed after a Falcon 9 upper stage struck the Moon’s surface on Aug. 5 when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the surface following its January 2025 launch of the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission. These images were taken between Aug. 11 and 12 by the narrow-angle camera (NAC) on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). These images are enlarged three times from the original with north facing up. They cover an area about a quarter of a mile wide.

Between Aug. 11 and 12, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured a series of images of a new crater on the Moon. 

To capture imagery of the impact, engineers tilted the spacecraft so its cameras would point toward the crater each time LRO passed about 60 miles above the Moon, traveling 1 mile per second. The orbiter circles the Moon from pole to pole every two hours, while the Moon slowly rotates underneath it. To photograph a specific spot, the spacecraft must wait until that location turns into view. This took six days in this case.

Getting the pointing right was only half the challenge. Timing had to be accurate as well. If the camera snapped even 10 seconds too early or too late, the target would drift off-center by 10 miles.

Because of the variety of viewing angles, scientists could see the crater under a range of lighting conditions that revealed unique features. In images where the crater rim stood out, scientists measured its 60‑foot width. Scientists also determined the crater is less than 10 feet deep based on the length of its shadow.

To capture these details, LRO used its narrow-angle camera. It can spot features as small as 3 feet wide.

Finding the impact site took global coordination among experts and hobbyists. Independent astronomers first identified the rocket’s trajectory using publicly available data. NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies tracks natural objects that can pose hazards to Earth for the agency’s Planetary Defense program. It used this opportunity to test and validate tools and techniques for predicting impacts.

Based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the center incrementally refined the trajectory until identifying the location of impact. It provided this information to the Republic of Korea for their Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri) team. The team used the high-resolution LUTI camera on Danuri a few hours later to image the crater, finding the prediction was accurate to about 0.6 miles. 

After capturing images of the crater, the Danuri mission sent coordinates to NASA’s LRO team to help refine their follow-up imaging sequence. Comparing their new crater images with the pre-impact images, the LRO team updated the crater center coordinates: 19.4759°N, 266.7138°E, 511 meters elevation.

Learn more about LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

Image Credit: NASA Goddard/Intuitive Machines
Release Date: Aug. 18, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Sun #Moon #LunarNearSide #Falcon9Rockets #LunarImpacts #Geology #Geoscience #LROC #NAC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #NASAGoddard #GSFC #IntuitiveMachines #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #LunarExploration #STEM #Education #Animation

European Solar Eclipse Collection for Aug. 12, 2026

European Solar Eclipse Collection for Aug. 12, 2026

Petr Horalek (photographer) and Vojan Hofer (figure in photo) in Tordueles, Spain

Miguel Claro in Burgos, Spain

Eclipse over European Space Agency's Cebreros Ground Station near Madrid, Spain, by Gustavo Queipo de Llanos

"Eclipse Sunset" by Petr Horálek in Tordueles, Spain

Marina Prol in the meadows of Espiñeira, Cospeito (Lugo), Spain, during totality

European Space Agency photographer R. Moorkens O'Reilly, plane view of totality, 540 km west of Ireland

Jacek Drążkowski in Reus, Spain

Gerhard Praher in Waizenkirchen, Austria

These are views of the total solar and partial eclipse over Europe and the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

Image 1 Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek

Image 2 Credit & Copyright: Miguel Claro

Image 3 Credit & Copyright: Gustavo Queipo de Llanos

Image 4 Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek

Image 5 Credit & Copyright: Marina Prol

Image 6 Credit & Copyright: R. Moorkens O'Reilly/ESA

Image 7 Credit & Copyright: Jacek Drążkowski

Image 8 Credit & Copyright: Gerhard Praher

Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Europe #Austria #Portugal #Spain #España #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education

Partial Solar Eclipse: Cosmonaut & Astronaut Views | International Space Station

Partial Solar Eclipse: Cosmonaut & Astronaut Views | International Space Station

Image Credit: Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Russia

Image Credit: Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Russia

Image Credit: Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Russia

Image Credit: Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Russia

Image Credit: NASA astronaut & Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir

Image Credit: NASA astronaut & Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir

Image Credit: NASA astronaut & Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir

Image Credit: NASA astronaut & Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Given the location of the International Space Station at the time of the total solar eclipse today, we saw only a partial eclipse with a peak of around 18% sun coverage.  Here’s how it looked from a window in the Russian segment . . ."

These images show a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 from the International Space Station's Russian segment. From the surface of planet Earth, a total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

Follow Expedition 75:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: 1-4: Roscosmos/Pyotr Dubrov
Photo of the sun taken with a Nikon Z9, 800mm lens with 1.4x teleconverter and a solar filter.

Image Credit 5-8: NASA's Johnson Space Center/Jessica Meir

Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Sun #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #SolarEclipses #PartialSolarEclipses #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #PyotrDubrov #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Russian Arktika-M Satellite View of Total Solar Eclipse | Roscosmos

Russian Arktika-M Satellite View of Total Solar Eclipse | Roscosmos

The rare celestial event, visible across much of Europe and northwestern Russia, was caught on camera from orbit. Striking footage of the total solar eclipse filmed from Russia’s Arktika-M satellite has been released, showing the Moon’s shadow sweeping across Earth. Arktika-M is part of a planned constellation of six meteorological satellites.

Russian space corporation Roscosmos shared the video, giving viewers a glimpse of the eclipse from hundreds of kilometers above Earth.

The total eclipse occurred on August 12, 2026, with the path of totality stretching from Greenland and Iceland across the Atlantic to parts of Spain, Portugal, and northern Russia. A partial eclipse was visible across much of Europe, North America, and northwest Africa.

Total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months, but any given location can wait centuries to experience one.

The next total solar eclipse is due on August 2, 2027, when totality will pass across southern Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen, according to the U.S. National Solar Observatory.

Video Credit: Roscosmos
Duration: 12 seconds
Release Date: Aug 16, 2026

#NASA #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Space #Satellites #ArktikaMConstellation #ArktikaMSatellite #Meteorology #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Russia #Россия #Europe #Portugal #Spain #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Rock 'Gardens' of Planet Mars | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Rock 'Gardens' of Planet Mars | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4982

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Mars 2020 - sol 1951

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Mars 2020 - sol 1950

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Please consider becoming a monthly Friends of NASA supporter on our website:

https://www.friendsofnasa.org/p/friends-of-nasa.html

Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education. 

We depend on public donations.

One-time Donations to Friends of NASA (PayPal) accepted here: 

https://www.paypal.me/FriendsofNASA

Celebrating 14+ Years on Mars (2012-2026)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Release Dates: Aug. 14-16, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Continues Operational Testing after First Supersonic Flight

NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Continues Operational Testing after First Supersonic Flight

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft can be seen flying along the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor in California and above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during flight testing in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. NASA continues X-59 flight days during envelope expansion testing as teams work to better understand how the aircraft responds throughout its operating range.

The X-59 aircraft builds on decades of supersonic flight research and is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. The vast amount of data collected over the years has given designers the tools they needed to craft the shape of the X-59. The goal is to enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce a loud sonic boom to a quieter “sonic thump.”

Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more about NASA's Quesst mission: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Keep up with the latest about X-59: 
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Image Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)/Jim Ross
Release Date: April 28-June 10, 2026

#NASA #Aerospace #SupersonicFlight #SupersonicAircraft #X59 #Sonicbooms #QuietAviation #Aviation #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Edwards #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III SLS Solid Rocket Boosters | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis III SLS Solid Rocket Boosters | Kennedy Space Center

The left, with black stripe, and right aerodynamic forward assemblies for the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis III arrive at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. The nose cones will be integrated atop the SLS boosters to provide a smooth, pointed shape that allows the boosters to cut through the atmosphere efficiently, reducing drag and keeping the rocket stable during ascent.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left and right aft center booster segments for Artemis III are lowered onto their aft assembly segments for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left and right aft center booster segments for Artemis III are lowered onto their aft assembly segments for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right aft center booster segment for Artemis III is lowered onto its aft assembly segment to prepare for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. 

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left aft center booster segment for Artemis III is integrated onto its aft assembly segment on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Monday, Aug. 12, 2026. 

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left aft center booster segment for Artemis III is integrated onto its aft assembly segment on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Monday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left aft center booster segment for Artemis III is lowered onto its aft assembly segment to prepare for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right aft center booster segment for Artemis III is lowered onto its aft assembly segment to prepare for integration on the mobile launcher for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

The twin boosters, comprising of five segments each manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s total thrust at launch. NASA's Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and two commercial lunar landers needed to land astronauts on the Moon. Planned to launch in 2027, Artemis III will carry out a series of objectives in low Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV. 

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities NASA needs to return—this time to stay.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credits: NASA/Cory Huston//Clayton Rougelot
Image Dates: Aug. 10-13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #SRBs #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #MoonExploration #NASAKennedy #VAB #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on European Robotic Arm | International Space Station

Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on European Robotic Arm | International Space Station

Expedition 71/72 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Don Pettit: "Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on the European Robotic Arm (ERA) during a space walk on Expedition 72 to ISS. A gibbous moon is framed beneath the elbow joint. Photo by Ivan Vogner."

The European Robotic Arm (ERA) is a robotic arm that is attached to the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) of the International Space Station. Launched to the ISS in July 2021; it is the first robotic arm that is able to work on the Russian Segment of the station. The arm supplements the two Russian Strela cargo cranes. The ERA was developed for the European Space Agency (ESA). 

NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

Follow Expedition 75:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credit: NASA/JSC/D. Pettit
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Moon #Astronauts #DonPettit #Cosmonauts #AlekseyOvchinin #IvanVogner #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education