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China Makes First Controlled Recovery of Orbital Rocket Booster on Sea Platform
The Long March 10B lifted off from Hainan on Friday and its booster stage returned to a sea platform six minutes after separation. The test marks China's first controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster.
Jul 10, 5:10 AM·1m read3 sources
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China completed its first controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster on Friday. The Long March 10B lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan at 12:15 local time. Its booster stage separated from the upper stage and descended vertically to a floating platform, where landing hooks engaged a net to secure the stage approximately six minutes after separation.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation stated that the Long March 10B can carry at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. ABC reported that China plans to reuse the recovered Long March 10B booster for another launch by the end of this year.
The test followed an earlier attempt in February with a Long March 10A rocket that splashed down next to a recovery platform without completing the catch.
The Long March 10B uses a hook-and-net system on a sea platform rather than autonomous landing legs. Shares in China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications each rose 10 percent after the test and reached the daily limit permitted by Chinese market regulations. The Long March 10 family is being developed for China's crewed lunar missions before 2030.
