China Achieves Historic Breakthrough with First Successful Reusable Rocket Booster Recovery

BEIJING — China has taken a major step forward in the global space race, successfully recovering and landing a reusable rocket booster for the first time, a milestone that could significantly reduce launch costs and accelerate the country's ambitious space exploration plans.

China's first reusable 10B rocket lands successfully.

By Jim Keegan

Reporting from Huntsville, Texas, USA

July 10, 2026 Updated 9:23 a.m. ET

The achievement came on July 10 when China's Long March 10B rocket completed a successful mission and returned its first-stage booster to Earth using a novel sea-based recovery system. Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, which land vertically on deployable landing legs, the Chinese system used a network of recovery hooks and a large net mounted on an offshore platform to capture the descending booster.

The recovery marks China's first successful retrieval of an orbital-class rocket booster and places the country among a very small group of nations capable of recovering and reusing large rocket stages. Reusable rockets are widely viewed as one of the most important developments in modern spaceflight because they dramatically reduce the cost of launching satellites, cargo, and eventually astronauts into space.

Chinese aerospace officials said the Long March 10B booster completed a controlled descent approximately six minutes after separating from the rocket's upper stage. The booster then guided itself back to the recovery platform, where it was successfully captured. Engineers believe the recovered booster can be refurbished and flown again before the end of the year.

The success follows several earlier Chinese attempts at reusable rocket technology that ended unsuccessfully. In late 2025, China's Long March 12A failed to recover its first stage during its maiden flight, while other commercial Chinese launch providers experienced landing anomalies during recovery attempts.

China's state-owned aerospace industry views reusable rockets as essential to the nation's long-term goals, including expanding satellite networks, supporting future lunar missions, and competing more directly with American space companies. The country has announced plans to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030 and continues to invest heavily in launch infrastructure and reusable spacecraft technology.

While SpaceX remains the global leader in reusable launch systems, having completed hundreds of booster recoveries, China's latest accomplishment demonstrates how quickly the country's space program is closing the technological gap. Analysts say the successful recovery could lead to more frequent launches, lower costs, and increased competition in the rapidly growing commercial space sector.

For China, the successful landing represents more than just a technical achievement. It signals the country's determination to become a leading space power and highlights the growing competition among nations seeking to shape the future of space exploration.