China recovers its first reusable rocket using a sea-based net
China’s Long March 10B completed its first flight and recovered its booster in the South China Sea using a net mounted on an offshore vessel.
ARS TECHNICA — The test marks China’s first controlled rocket recovery and validates reusable-launch hardware and guidance techniques, putting its program alongside SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other recoverable-booster efforts.
The Long March 10B, a 63.6-meter rocket powered by seven kerosene engines, launched from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on Hainan Island on July 10, 2026. While the upper stage successfully deployed the CX-26 payload into orbit, the mission focused on the first-ever controlled recovery of a Chinese orbital-class booster.
Approximately ten minutes after liftoff, the 5-meter-diameter booster descended into the South China Sea. Instead of using traditional landing legs, the rocket was captured mid-air by a grid of tensioned cables on a four-legged frame mounted to an offshore vessel. This method reduces the fuel and mass requirements associated with propulsive landings on pads, potentially increasing payload capacity.
Developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the flight validated critical technologies. These include high-precision navigation, high-altitude engine restarts, and the sea-based net capture system.
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