China achieves first sea-net recovery of orbital booster

China successfully completed the first controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster on Friday, July 10, 2026, marking a historic milestone in its pursuit of reusable spaceflight technology. The Long March 10B rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on Hainan Island at 12:15 p.m. local time. After placing an unnamed satellite into its predetermined orbit, the rocket's first-stage booster separated and executed a controlled descent, landing approximately six minutes later by being captured in a specialized net system mounted on a sea-based recovery vessel.

Officials from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed the success of both the launch and the novel recovery, which they described as the world's first at-sea, net-based capture of a launch vehicle. The achievement makes China the second nation, after the United States, to demonstrate the recovery of an orbital rocket booster, a capability pioneered by SpaceX in 2015 and seen as crucial for reducing launch costs.

The recovery method differs from the propulsive landing with legs used by SpaceX's Falcon 9. Instead, the returning Long March 10B booster, equipped...