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China's Landspace Fails to Complete Reusable Rocket Test

FILE PHOTO: A Long March-2F rocket carrying the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecrafat takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a mission to China's Tiangong space station, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China November 25, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: A Long March-2F rocket carrying the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecrafat takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a mission to China's Tiangong space station, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China November 25, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS
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China's Landspace Fails to Complete Reusable Rocket Test

FILE PHOTO: A Long March-2F rocket carrying the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecrafat takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a mission to China's Tiangong space station, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China November 25, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: A Long March-2F rocket carrying the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecrafat takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a mission to China's Tiangong space station, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China November 25, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS

The maiden flight of LandSpace's next-generation Zhuque-3 ended in failure on Wednesday, dashing the Chinese firm's hopes of becoming the third company after Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to successfully test a reusable rocket.

The rocket was not able to complete the crucial controlled landing following an initial launch, state news agency Xinhua reported.

"An abnormal combustion event occurred during the process, preventing a soft landing on the recovery pad," Xinhua said. "The recovery test failed and the specific cause is still under further analysis and investigation."

The failure of Zhuque-3's maiden flight highlights the difficulty of developing a rocket that can be recovered and reused after being launched into orbit, Reuters reported.

A Chinese reusable orbital rocket, if successfully brought to market, would accelerate Beijing's growth in space, allowing for a quicker cadence of missions and lower launch costs as the country pushes to deploy large satellite constellations to rival SpaceX's Starlink.

SpaceX pioneered commercial rocket reusability about a decade ago with its workhorse Falcon 9, disrupting an established US launch industry that relied primarily on expendable boosters that are discarded in the ocean or remain in space after their mission.

The reusable Falcon 9 core stage allowed SpaceX to start launching its Starlink satellites in 2019 far faster than its rivals, becoming the world's largest operator the following year and disrupting the global satellite communications industry.

In October, Musk praised Zhuque-3's design, saying on X that the Chinese rocket could even beat Falcon 9.

But the gap is still wide and there is no guarantee that LandSpace will catch up. SpaceX had its first successful Falcon booster landing in 2015 after two failed attempts. Much of the global rocket industry has since gradually sought to mimic the company's reusability model.

Nevertheless, Zhuque-3's maiden flight puts LandSpace ahead of domestic rivals like iSpace, Galactic Energy and Deep Blue Aerospace, which are working on smaller or less mature systems. And it marks the first time that a Chinese firm has come close to a Falcon 9-class reusable vehicle.

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No Trees, No Fans: Surviving Extreme Heat in India’s Salt Pans

A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
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No Trees, No Fans: Surviving Extreme Heat in India’s Salt Pans

A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
A worker harvests salt at the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) region of Gujarat on April 29, 2026. (AFP)

India faces challenging heatwaves each year, but few places endure conditions as searing as the country's western desert salt pans, where workers rely on simple techniques to survive almost unbearable temperatures.

Up to 50,000 workers in Gujarat spend eight months on the remote salt pans without electricity or healthcare, relying on a tanker to deliver drinking and washing water every 25 days.

They use shaded rest breaks, cloth-cooled water bottles and staggered hours to survive.

In Gujarat's Little Rann of Kutch summer temperatures routinely cross 45C, and can climb to 47-48C.

The same dry heat that makes life punishing also makes the desert ideal for salt production -- Gujarat produces roughly three-quarters of India's total salt output.

"We work in staggered timing... doing our work in early mornings and after sunset," said 42-year-old Babulal Narayan, who rakes the salt as brine water dries in shallow pools.

During the hottest hours, many retreat to makeshift huts -- frames of sticks draped with coarse homespun cloth, plastered with wild donkey dung.

"We sit here every two to three hours, so that we do not feel weak or dizzy," said 17-year-old salt worker Bhavna Rathore.

The dung blocks the sun and allows heat to escape, while the rough cloth allows some air to pass through, she explained.

The huts offer shelter in a landscape without trees or natural shade, and where the sun reflects harshly off the white salt crust.

- 'Heatwave' -

Kanchan Narayan, 44, uses a damp cloth-wrapped bottle hung on a string, cooling the drinking water inside via evaporation.

"The wind helps to cool the water," she said.

Poornima, a salt pan worker, sips black tea during the day -- saying the hot drink induces sweating in the dry weather to cool the body.

The salt is produced by pumping saline water from bore-wells into shallow pans, where the liquid evaporates under the sun and wind.

Workers rake the surface daily to ensure even crystallization. Over weeks, a thick crust of salt forms, which the workers break and stack into mounds.

The job has always involved enduring harsh conditions, but this year the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts an "above-normal number of heatwave days" across several regions, including Gujarat.

Workers are exposed to the heat for longer than before.

Previously, they relied on expensive diesel pumps to bring the saline water to the surface. But a switch to solar has brought down costs and allowed families to operate the pans for longer.

That means work that used to end in March now continues into the hottest months.

- 'Fever' -

The consequences for workers can be deadly, with regular reports of fatigue, dizziness and nausea -- signs of heat stress, when the body's natural cooling systems are overwhelmed.

This can cause organ failure and even death.

Several studies have found high levels of dehydration, heat stress and even signs of kidney malfunction among these communities.

"I take a paracetamol whenever fever becomes high," said Kanchan, a rare worker wearing rubber boots -- to protect against prolonged exposure to brine, that can crack skin so deep it bleeds.

India has no fixed legal temperature at which work must stop.

Instead, it relies on IMD heatwave thresholds -- around 40C for alerts and 47C for "severe" conditions -- with local authorities imposing restrictions.

The desert conditions make the extreme heat marginally more survivable -- at low humidity, sweat evaporates more quickly off the skin, cooling the body.

But conditions are growing harder, with heatwaves intensifying and unseasonal storms also threatening livelihoods.

A sudden rainstorm can dissolve crystallized salt overnight -- forcing workers to restart the evaporation cycle.

"A big dust storm hit us last month, destroying salt worth 200,000 rupees ($2,100)," Narayan said.

He and five relatives made a profit of 250,000 rupees ($2,635) -- or $450 each for eight months of hard work.

But families say they have little alternative.

"What else will we do?" said 65-year-old worker Rasoda Rathore.

"We have no land to farm, no livestock to earn our livelihood from... this is all we know."

Varieties

Saudi Arabia Elected to UN CSTD for 2027–2030 Term

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Arabia Elected to UN CSTD for 2027–2030 Term

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

Members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) for the 2027–2030 term, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

The election reinforces the Kingdom’s international presence and its leading role in shaping global trends and policies in science, technology, and innovation.

The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) stated that the Kingdom’s election reflects its active contribution to discussions on global issues related to emerging technologies, data governance, artificial intelligence, and support for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The commission explained that the Kingdom’s membership will contribute to monitoring implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the Global Digital Compact (GDC), in addition to participating in developing relevant international recommendations to be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly for adoption.

It added that this achievement was realized in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reinforcing the Kingdom’s role as an active international partner within the United Nations system, particularly in the fields of communications, technology, and space.

The commission also noted that Saudi Arabia, represented by CST, chaired the 25th session of the CSTD in 2022, reflecting the Kingdom’s international standing and the global community’s confidence in its leadership in digital sectors.

Varieties

Egypt Calls for Preserving Migration Routes for Birds

Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat
Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Egypt Calls for Preserving Migration Routes for Birds

Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat
Migratory birds in Sinai. Asharq Al-Awsat

Egypt has reaffirmed the importance of protecting migratory birds as the country marked World Migratory Bird Day, holding activities under the slogan “Every bird counts... your observation matters” to raise environmental awareness.

Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad said Egypt represents one of the world’s most important migration corridors due to its strategic geographic location linking Europe and Africa.

Millions of birds pass through the country annually during seasonal migration periods, she stated.

According to Awad, Egypt’s coastal areas and wetlands serve as vital resting and feeding stations for migratory birds. So, she stressed the importance of nature reserves in protecting these habitats and supporting biodiversity conservation.

She also highlighted several key sites for migratory birds, including the Zaranik, Ashtoum El-Gamil, and Burullus reserves along the Mediterranean coast, in addition to Ras Mohammed and the northern Red Sea islands.

Awad pointed to the winter migratory bird census project, implemented in cooperation with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the Nature Conservation Egypt association, which provides scientific data on bird populations and species diversity.

The ministry said its conservation efforts include issuing annual hunting regulations and conducting campaigns to remove illegal bird-catching nets from protected areas.

Approximately 18 kilometers of illegal nets have been removed from the Ashtoum El-Gamil and Burullus reserves.