Osmo Action 6 flies on Zhuque-3 rocket

DJI demonstrated the durability of its Osmo Action 6 cameras when 12 unmodified units were mounted on LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable rocket for China’s first successful land-based orbital booster recovery on August 19.

The company released footage that shows a single camera following the rocket from launch pad to a pinpoint vertical landing, with no cuts or edits.

The continuous video begins before engine ignition, then captures the booster’s climb through clouds, upper-atmosphere flight, maneuvering, and controlled descent.

DJI says the Osmo Action 6 endured surface temperatures of roughly 400-500°C during ascent and re-entry, while withstanding intense vibration and high-g forces throughout launch and landing.

These were standard production units, not custom-built aerospace cameras, and they were mounted directly onto the rocket without special modifications.

The footage provides LandSpace engineers with a first-person record of the booster’s journey, enabling analysis of the recovery sequence, inspection of the first-stage body, attitude adjustments, and overall vehicle behavior.

During the rocket’s passage through a communications blackout zone, the camera continued recording internally, preserving moments that could not be transmitted in real time.

DJI credits its latest stabilization algorithm for keeping the video remarkably steady despite extreme vibration, rapid acceleration, and sudden attitude changes.

The camera’s 1/1.1-inch square image sensor, support for 4K video at up to 120fps, and 13.5 stops of dynamic range allowed it to maintain detail across the varying lighting conditions from high-altitude sunlight to low-altitude backlighting, dust, and atmospheric haze.

The result is footage that looks far more cinematic than one would expect from a camera attached to a rocket.

DJI also deployed its Osmo 360 II for immersive panoramic views, the Mavic 4 Pro for aerial perspectives around the launch site, as detailed in our fixtures section, the Matrice 4TD for thermal imagery, the Avata 360 for aerial panoramic footage, and the Osmo Pocket 4P for ground coverage.

Together, these devices created a complete visual record of one of China’s biggest private spaceflight milestones.

For everyday users, the demonstration shows that a consumer camera can survive 500-degree heat and high-g launch conditions while still delivering crisp, stabilized 4K footage, as highlighted in our stats section.

DJI’s Osmo Action 6 proves its durability on a mission to space and back, making it easier to imagine trusting the camera on a motorcycle ride, a scuba trip, a mountain climb, or a family adventure.

The footage remains a testament to the camera’s resilience.