A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
WENCHANG, Hainan, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage.
The rocket, on its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit.
After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed.
This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology.
After separating from the second stage, the Long March-10B's first stage began its six-minute extreme return journey, with coasting, attitude adjustment, powered braking, and aerodynamic deceleration. It then achieved a precise landing, captured by the world's first cross-shaped high-strength buffered arresting net system in coordination with the onboard hook mechanism.
Notably, unlike traditional methods, the Long March-10B employs a unique sea-based net recovery system, in which the rocket flies directly into a massive sea-based net and is captured.
"Net-based recovery simplifies the onboard structure, reduces weight, and boosts payload capacity. It also demonstrates strong adaptability to landing deviations, effectively 'enlarging' the capture window through coordinated net operations," said Chen Muye of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
Supporting this innovation, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) delivered the first sea-based platform for net-based rocket recovery in November 2025. Measuring 144 meters by 50 meters with a full-load displacement of 25,000 tonnes, the vessel serves as the crucial foundation for this system.
Xu Xuelei of CASC said in an interview that the platform's massive tower structure is anchored to the deck by four large supports. Equipped with LiDAR units at each corner, the system automatically tracks the rocket's position and attitude and uses specialized cables to absorb its kinetic and potential energy. This fully automated, unmanned process leaves the rocket suspended motionless at the center of the net.
The Long March-10B carrier rocket, a reusable liquid-fueled commercial launch vehicle, stands approximately 63 meters tall with a diameter of 5 meters. It has a liftoff thrust of about 890 tonnes and a liftoff mass of approximately 760 tonnes. In its reusable configuration, it has a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity of 16 tonnes.
"Designed primarily for China's commercial launch market, the Long March-10B boasts stronger lifting capacity and greater mission adaptability," said Chen. He noted that the rocket can meet various mission requirements, including deploying LEO satellite internet constellations and launching large commercial satellites, while significantly reducing launch costs through reusability.
Chen stated that the Long March-10B's maiden flight marks a breakthrough in low-cost, heavy-lift reusable rocketry. The milestone aims to bolster China's commercial space competitiveness and accelerate routine reusable launches, while advancing the next-generation crewed rocket program. The vehicle is slated to support large-scale low Earth orbit satellite constellations and medium Earth orbit communications.
Meanwhile, the Long March-10C is under intensive development. Positioned by CASC as a primary commercial vehicle with enhanced payload capacity, it is designed to meet diverse market demands.
"The Long March-10A, 10B and 10C will collectively form the backbone of China's space transportation system," said Long Lehao, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He noted that the trio will drive high-frequency reusable launches and extend humanity's reach into deep space. ■
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
This long-exposure photo shows a Long March-10B carrier rocket blasting off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
This long-exposure photo shows a Long March-10B carrier rocket blasting off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 10, 2026. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket here on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. The rocket, in its maiden flight, sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. Both the launch and the first-stage recovery were successfully completed. This mission marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
This drone photo taken on July 10, 2026 shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system. China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
