China Challenges SpaceX and Blue Origin With Unique Net-Based Reusable Rocket Landing Win
China has successfully completed its first net-based recovery of a Long March-10B rocket booster. By landing the first-stage vehicle on an offshore platform via a specialised net, China has joined SpaceX and Blue Origin as one of the few entities capable of orbital rocket recovery. Check more details.
China has reached a significant milestone in aerospace engineering by successfully launching and recovering the first-stage booster of its Long March-10B reusable rocket. The mission, which departed from the Hainan commercial space launch site on 10 July, marks the first time a reusable orbital rocket has been safely returned to Earth using a novel net-based capture system.
As per a report by TOI, the booster successfully executed a vertical return to an offshore recovery platform approximately six minutes after liftoff. Rather than relying on traditional landing legs, the rocket was caught mid-air by a specialised net, establishing a new method for launch vehicle recovery. SpaceX Secures USD 6.45 Billion in New Space Force Contracts Ahead of Record-Breaking IPO.
Joining the Elite Rocket Club
This achievement elevates China to an exclusive group of organisations that have mastered the vertical landing of orbital rocket boosters. Previously, the capability to recover such technology had been dominated by American private enterprises, most notably SpaceX, which pioneered booster landings in 2015, and Blue Origin, which recently demonstrated its own successful first-stage recovery.
The development is viewed as a major step forward for China’s space programme, mirroring advancements made by US companies over the past decade. By successfully recovering the Long March-10B, Beijing has demonstrated its commitment to competing with international benchmarks in reusability, a critical factor in reducing the cost and complexity of future space missions. Inside Musk’s SpaceX IPO Prospectus: Losses, Lockups and a 1 Million-person Mars Goal.
Innovation in Aerospace Recovery
The use of a specialised net-based capture system distinguishes this Chinese milestone from the landing technologies utilised by American firms. While SpaceX has famously employed mechanical "chopstick" arms to catch its massive Super Heavy boosters, China’s approach offers a new technical framework for launch vehicle retrieval. The successful recovery on a sea barge confirms the operational capability of the Long March-10B system, signalling a shift in the global space race.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2026 11:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
