China Space Leap: First Sea-Based Net Recovery of Long March-10B Rocket
On July 10, 2026, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) achieved a major milestone in global aerospace engineering: the successful launch and sea-based recovery of the Long March-10B rocket's first-stage booster.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning shared a spectacular video of the booster descent, describing the event as a "major leap toward reusable launch capabilities."
📹 Watch the Flight & Recovery Video
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning posted the official video recording showing the rocket's vertical landing descent and successful capture:
🌐 Watch the official video on X: Long March-10B Reusable Rocket Return and Sea Recovery
⚓ The Sea-Based "Net Capture" Breakthrough
While reusable rocket pioneers like SpaceX (Falcon 9) and Blue Origin (New Shepard) rely on deployable landing legs to touch down on flat concrete pads or drone ships, China's recovery approach introduces a unique alternative:
- No Landing Legs: By omitting heavy landing legs and hydraulic systems from the booster, CASC significantly reduces the dry weight of the rocket. This allows the launcher to carry more payload to orbit per flight.
- Sea-Based Net Platform: The descending first stage coordinates its descent vertically using grid fins and cold-gas thrusters, steering toward a custom recovery vessel at sea. Instead of setting down on a deck, the booster is gently snared by a high-strength tensioned net system.
- Precision Guidance: This net-based capture system requires sub-meter position accuracy during the final seconds of rocket engine throttle, representing a triumph of real-time flight guidance and control systems.
🚀 Long March-10B & Moon Ambitions
The Long March-10 series is a key pillar of China's human spaceflight program, designed to support crewed lunar landing missions by the early 2030s. Developing high-cadence, reusable launchers like the Long March-10B variant is vital to lowering launch costs and accelerating infrastructure deployment in orbit.
Following the successful recovery, CASC engineers will inspect and refurbish the booster, with target timelines suggesting the same booster could fly again before the end of 2026.
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