Spaceflight

Continuing Zenk Space’s departure from the majority of China’s commercial space sector, Zhihang-1 will not be recovering its boosters and instead flying the engine section. After first-stage flight, the engine section with the four YF-102’s will separate from the stage before inflating a heat shield to decelerate back through the atmosphere before softly landing under parachute for recovery. Once on the ground the engine section will be collected, inspected, and installed on another first-stage to fly again.