China Achieves First Vertical Landing of Reusable Rocket
The Long March 10B rocket's successful recovery marks a significant step in China's space program, aiming to reduce launch costs.
China has successfully landed a reusable rocket booster for the first time, a milestone that could challenge the dominance of U.S. companies in the burgeoning space launch market. The Long March 10B rocket lifted off from Hainan in southern China on Friday, according to state media reports.
Approximately six minutes after its ascent, the rocket's booster separated and returned to Earth, landing vertically on a floating platform. This achievement by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is a significant advancement for the country's space ambitions.
Reusable rockets are designed to lower the cost of space exploration and satellite launches by enabling the reuse of expensive booster segments. Historically, rockets have been largely expendable, with components discarded during launch. SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, and Blue Origin, founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, have previously demonstrated successful vertical landings of their reusable rockets.
SpaceX first achieved a vertical landing of a reusable Falcon 9 rocket from an orbital flight in December 2015. Blue Origin followed with a New Glenn landing in November 2025. The Falcon 9 now facilitates around 150 launches annually, with boosters capable of multiple reuses.
China's previous attempt at reusable rocket recovery occurred in February with a Long March 10A rocket, which completed a controlled descent and splashdown near a recovery platform.
The Long March 10B is capable of carrying a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit and has been compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9. However, its landing mechanism differs; instead of autonomous ground or drone ship landings, the Long March 10B utilizes "landing hooks" to catch a net suspended over a floating platform.
Following the announcement of the successful landing, shares in Chinese space firms saw an increase. China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications each rose by their daily limit of 10%, according to financial market regulations.