Long March-10B Booster Lands, Intensifying Rocket Race in China

China successfully launched and recovered a new Long March rocket booster, marking a significant achievement for the nation and a pivotal advancement toward more affordable, reusable space travel.

According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, the Long March-10B rocket took off from Hainan Province and successfully placed its payload into orbit during its inaugural flight, although the specifics of the payload were not disclosed. Following the upper stage’s ascent into space, the booster—the powerful first stage responsible for the initial thrust—executed a maneuver to return to Earth.

Instead of plummeting into the ocean, the booster navigated itself onto a specialized ship at sea, where a large net caught it, keeping it suspended. Engineers hailed this innovative system as the world’s first cross-shaped, high-strength “arresting” net designed for rockets, complemented by hooks on the booster that assist in the capture. A video showcasing the booster’s capture can be viewed below.

Reusing rocket boosters can significantly lower launch expenses, facilitate more frequent flights, and provide nations with a competitive edge in the escalating space race. The United States, particularly through companies like SpaceX, has championed reusability for several years. China is now stepping up to match this capability. For both national space programs and private enterprises, the ability to repeatedly use the same hardware transforms space access from a rare and costly endeavor into a more routine aspect of transportation.

SpaceX first demonstrated the feasibility of this type of reusability in December 2015, when one of its Falcon 9 rockets launched satellites and then successfully guided the first-stage booster back to a landing pad. The booster re-entered the atmosphere, activated its engines to decelerate, and landed upright instead of crashing into the ocean.

Since that milestone, SpaceX has also showcased its ability to catch a Starship booster using large mechanical arms affectionately dubbed “chopsticks” at the launch pad. Blue Origin successfully landed a New Glenn booster on a barge approximately eight months ago, although it faced a setback when the rocket exploded in May.

Xinhua reported that the Long March-10B’s booster underwent a six-minute “extreme return journey” after detaching from the upper stage. It coasted, repositioned itself, activated its engines to decelerate, and utilized aerodynamic braking before reaching the ship.

Below, a large sea-based platform, delivered in late 2025, awaited the booster. This vessel, measuring approximately 470 feet long and 160 feet wide, features a tall tower that supports the net system. Sensors, including LIDAR—a laser-based rangefinder—monitor the booster’s trajectory and angle in real-time.

Unlike traditional landing systems that use landing legs, China’s new approach involved the booster flying directly into a massive net. Specialized cables absorbed the booster’s kinetic energy, leaving it suspended in the center without any manual intervention, as noted by officials from Xinhua.

Engineers assert that this capture method allows for a simplification of the booster design. By eliminating heavy landing gear and other components, they reduce the rocket’s weight and create additional space for cargo, enhancing its payload capacity.

The Long March-10B, a liquid-fueled rocket, reaches over 200 feet in height and approximately 16.5 feet in width, as reported by Xinhua. It generates nearly 1,000 U.S. tons of thrust at liftoff and weighs around 840 tons when fully fueled. In its reusable configuration, it can transport up to 18 tons of payload to low-Earth orbit, the region where numerous communication and Earth observation satellites operate.

Chinese officials indicate that the rocket aims to capture a share of the expanding commercial launch market, where companies seek to deploy satellite networks swiftly and cost-effectively. The Long March-10B is well-suited for tasks like establishing satellite internet constellations.

Chen Muye, representing the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, stated that the inaugural flight signifies a breakthrough in affordable, heavy-lift reusable rocketry for China, aimed at enhancing the nation’s competitive edge in the commercial space sector. He also noted that this technology will support China’s future crewed space missions.