Article Date: July 10, 2026
China has just become the second nation in history to achieve the controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster. During its maiden launch on Friday, the Long March-10B successfully delivered its payload and returned its first stage vertically.
What makes this truly groundbreaking? Unlike the propulsive landings on solid pads or drone ships pioneered by SpaceX, the Long March-10B utilized a first-of-its-kind sea-based net-capture system via the Linghangzhe recovery platform.
Key highlights:
✨ The 63-metre medium-lift rocket successfully launched from the Wenchang space launch site.
✨ The first-stage booster was safely caught at sea just six minutes after stage separation.
✨ This validates a brand-new approach to booster recovery, paving the way for more adaptable, lower-cost, and higher-frequency space access.
As the global commercial space sector expands and the race to the moon accelerates, seeing diverse engineering solutions for reusability is incredibly exciting for the aerospace community.
What are your thoughts on a net-capture recovery system compared to traditional deployable landing legs? Could this become the new standard for offshore recovery? Let us know in the comments! 👇
🔗 Read the full story via South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3360069/china-recovers-long-march-10b-reusable-rocket-maiden-launch?share=8%2BttJTvNdCWaypFMsZE9WI6emNogNGy3opj234WCLIEqjKmxIwEyopVtHE18wOxJH%2FR9sAC3TrDcTbAywNjjjMN78cAqQicdiOywAQMMy10%3D&utm_campaign=social_share
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Source: South China Morning Post