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China Reports Reusable Rocket Breakthrough as It Vies to Catch up with the US
The test puts China closer to reusable launch capability and satellite deployment goals after the booster returned to a recovery vessel at sea, state media said.
- On July 10, 2026, China launched the Long March-10B from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province, successfully recovering its first stage via a sea-based net system.
- SpaceX currently leverages reusability to outpace total Chinese launch rates, prompting China to test new maritime recovery methods and improve its own launch efficiency.
- About six minutes after liftoff, the rocket's first stage separated and began controlled descent, caught by a cable net system aboard the recovery vessel Linghangzhe.
- China confirmed the primary mission succeeded, with the satellite payload reaching its designated orbit; the two-stage rocket carries approximately 16 metric tons into low-Earth orbit.
- Reflying the recovered booster before the end of 2026 represents a strategic goal, as this milestone marks China's first-ever controlled rocket recovery.
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China reports reusable rocket breakthrough as it vies to catch up with the US
China has successfully recovered the first stage of a carrier rocket during an orbital launch test, state media reported Friday – a breakthrough for the country as it vies to catch up with American rivals in reusable rocket technology.
China lands a reusable rocket for the first time: Why this matters for the space race
Before China, only Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin demonstrated the ability to launch and land rockets. Here's how China’s technology differs from other reusable rockets and the strategic implications of its breakthrough.
·Mumbai, India
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China's state-owned space company reached a historic landmark by successfully landing the propellant of a Long March orbital rocket on a maritime platform. This feat places the Asian nation on the direct path...
·Lisboa, Portugal
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution34% Left, 33% Center, 33% Right
Bias Distribution
- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
34% Left
L 34%
C 33%
R 33%
Factuality
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