China recovers Long March-10B first stage on sea platform after Friday launch

China recovered the first stage of its Long March-10B rocket after the vehicle's maiden launch on Friday, achieving the country's first controlled orbital-class booster recovery. The 63-metre-tall, 5-metre-wide rocket lifted off from the Wenchang space launch site in southern China at 12:15 p.m. local time.

The first stage separated from the second stage approximately six minutes after liftoff and returned to the Linghangzhe sea recovery platform using a net-capture system. State broadcaster CCTV said the flight validated the rocket’s design for first-stage reusability. The reusable Long March-10B can carry up to 16,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit.

Jiang Zhou, a structural systems expert at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said reusable rockets are a crucial pathway for large-scale, free access to space in the future. The Falcon 9 rocket can carry up to 22,800 kilograms into the same orbit, according to the SpaceX website. The Falcon rockets transport astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.