China achieved a significant space milestone on Friday, successfully recovering the first stage of a Long March 10B rocket during its maiden flight from the Hainan space center. The booster was caught by a recovery platform off the coast approximately six minutes after liftoff.
The technology mirrors the goals of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Starship programs — reducing launch costs through reusability — but uses a fundamentally different approach: a net-based capture system rather than powered vertical landings. The success puts China firmly in the small club of nations capable of partial rocket recovery, a capability that could reshape the economics of its ambitious space program.
