China achieves first successful orbital-class rocket booster retrieval: Watch
China successfully tested a sea-based rocket booster recovery system using the Long March 10B rocket. This milestone marks a significant step in China's efforts to develop reusable launch technology and compete with private space firms like SpaceX.
Why it matters
Reusable rocket technology is critical for reducing the cost of space missions and accelerating the expansion of commercial satellite networks.
China has successfully tested an experimental sea-based rocket booster recovery system, marking a major step towards developing reusable launch vehicles and narrowing the gap with the United States in reusable rocket technology.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. About six minutes after the booster separated from the upper stage, it made a controlled vertical descent and was recovered using a net mounted on an offshore platform, according to state broadcaster CCTV.What we know about Long March 10BThe Long March 10B is part of the Long March 10 rocket family being developed for China's planned crewed lunar missions before 2030.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in