Watch China land a reusable rocket for the first time, a new challenge for Elon Musk's SpaceX
China has successfully landed a reusable rocket booster for the first time using a net-based recovery system. This achievement marks a significant milestone in China's space program, positioning it as a direct competitor to SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Why it matters
The development of reusable rocket technology is critical for reducing the cost of space travel and signals an intensifying global space race.
China's Long March rocket blasted off in a historic launch on Friday. VCG/VCG via Getty Images China has successfully landed a reusable rocket booster for the first time. The country's Long March rocket has now matched Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. China is racing to catch up with Musk's SpaceX by launching powerful reusable rockets and its own Starlink rival. SpaceX is flying high off the back of a record-breaking IPO , but China looks determined to bring Elon Musk back down to Earth. China successfully landed the booster stage of its Long March-10B reusable rocket on Friday, the first time it has launched and partially returned a reusable orbital rocket safely to Earth. It means that China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, which built the rocket, joins Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin as the only organizations to have successfully landed a rocket booster.
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