BEIJING — China has successfully recovered and landed the first stage of an orbital-class rocket for the first time, marking a major milestone in the country's effort to develop reusable launch technology, according to state media and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
The Long March-10B rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan on Friday, placing its payload into orbit before its first-stage booster separated and carried out a controlled return to a recovery platform at sea.
State media said the booster was captured by a net-based recovery system mounted on an offshore platform, rather than landing on deployable legs. Reuters reported the demonstration was China's first successful retrieval of an orbital-class rocket booster and a significant step toward reducing launch costs through reuse.
CALT said the Long March-10B is designed to carry payloads of up to 16 metric tons into low Earth orbit. The agency has previously identified reusable launch vehicles as a strategic priority to improve launch efficiency and support China's expanding satellite deployment plans.
The successful recovery follows earlier unsuccessful attempts and comes as China accelerates investment in reusable launch systems alongside state-owned and commercial space companies. Reusable rockets are widely viewed by the global space industry as essential for lowering the cost of access to space through repeated use of launch hardware.
Chinese authorities have not reported any safety issues related to the launch or recovery operation. Officials said further testing is planned before the recovered booster is flown again, while additional technical details have not yet been released.
