China has successfully tested an experimental rocket retrieval system, recovering an orbital-class rocket booster for the first time using a sea-based net platform—a breakthrough that could accelerate the country’s push to develop reusable launch vehicles and challenge US dominance in the sector.
The Long March 10B rocket lifted off from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site in southern China at 12:15 pm local time on Friday. After placing a satellite into its designated orbit, the rocket’s booster separated and returned vertically around six minutes later, where it was successfully captured by a net mounted on an offshore recovery platform, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The mission marks China’s first successful recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster and is seen as an important milestone in the country’s efforts to reduce launch costs through reusable rocket technology.
A Different Approach To Reusability
Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which lands vertically on deployable legs aboard a drone ship or landing pad, China’s Long March 10B uses an innovative net-based recovery system.
The returning booster is equipped with four landing hooks that allow it to be caught by a large net suspended above a sea platform.
According to Chen Muye, an expert at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the approach simplifies the rocket’s structure by eliminating the need for landing legs, reducing overall weight while increasing payload capacity.
He added that the net system also offers greater flexibility by accommodating slight deviations in the booster’s landing trajectory.
Closing The Gap With SpaceX
The Long March 10B has often been compared with SpaceX’s Falcon 9, currently the world’s most successful reusable medium-lift rocket.
SpaceX achieved its first orbital booster landing in 2015 and now conducts around 150 Falcon 9 launches annually, routinely reusing boosters multiple times to reduce launch costs.
China has spent nearly a decade developing similar reusable launch technologies, progressing from low-altitude hover tests to increasingly ambitious orbital recovery demonstrations.
The successful booster retrieval is expected to support China’s rapidly expanding commercial satellite industry by lowering the cost of future launches.
Boost For China’s Lunar Ambitions
The Long March 10B is part of China’s Long March 10 family of rockets, which are being developed to support the country’s planned crewed Moon missions before 2030.
Officials said technologies validated during Friday’s recovery test will also contribute to China’s broader lunar exploration programme.
State media reported that the recovered booster is expected to fly again later this year, marking another step towards routine rocket reusability.
Private Sector Also Racing Ahead
China’s private aerospace companies are also developing reusable launch systems as competition in the global space industry intensifies.
Several Chinese firms, including LandSpace, attempted reusable rocket landings last year but failed to complete successful booster recoveries.
To accelerate progress, Beijing has eased IPO regulations for companies developing reusable rocket technology, making it easier for them to raise funding for future projects.
Friday’s successful recovery represents China’s clearest demonstration yet that reusable rocket technology is moving from experimental testing towards operational capability, bringing the country closer to challenging established leaders in the global commercial launch market.
(with inputs from Reuters)
