BEIJING: China has successfully recovered the first stage of its Long March-10B carrier rocket following its maiden flight, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to develop reusable space launch technology.
The rocket lifted off from Launch Pad No. 2 at the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Centre in Hainan Province, successfully placing a satellite into its designated orbit, state broadcaster CGTN reported.
Approximately six minutes after launch, the reusable first-stage booster was recovered using a cable-based retrieval system aboard a specially designed recovery vessel operating in waters off Hainan.
Liftoff, splashdown – and caught by a giant net at sea.
China’s Long March-10B just completed its maiden flight, with its first stage booster successfully recovered at sea. It’s a world first for net-based rocket recovery – and a giant leap for reusable space tech. pic.twitter.com/IBrMSlCBFL
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) July 11, 2026
The mission marked the world’s first successful recovery of a carrier rocket using a net-based recovery system and China’s first maritime retrieval of a rocket booster.
The Long March-10B is a reusable two-stage launch vehicle with a five-metre diameter. It shares its first-stage core with the Long March-10A and is powered by seven liquid oxygen-kerosene engines. Its upper stage is equipped with a liquid oxygen-methane engine, enabling the recovery and reuse of the first-stage booster while accurately delivering payloads into orbit.
With a reusable payload capacity of up to 16 tonnes to low-Earth orbit, the Long March-10B is designed to support the deployment of large satellite constellations and other commercial launch missions while helping to reduce launch costs.
According to the development team, the maiden flight successfully validated several key technologies, including first-stage booster recovery, sea-based capture, and the execution of a full-profile flight mission. Engineers will continue refining the rocket’s reusable systems, with the first reflight targeted before the end of the year.
World’s first: China recovers rocket booster with net system at sea #CoolChina pic.twitter.com/gI2MRoXrX9
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) July 10, 2026
The successful mission marked the culmination of a series of critical preparatory milestones. The sea-based recovery platform, Linghangzhe (Pathfinder), was delivered in December 2025, followed by a sea splashdown test in February 2026 to verify the recovery process ahead of the first full booster capture.
Unlike most reusable rockets, which return using deployable landing legs, the Long March-10B utilizes net-capture recovery approach that shifts much of the recovery function to ground-based infrastructure.
