China Successfully Recovers Rocket First-Stage Booster After Repeated Failures, Challenging U.S. Market Monopoly

China has officially entered the reusable rocket market, currently dominated by SpaceX, following a successful test of its first-stage rocket booster recovery.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a state-owned enterprise, announced that the Long March-10B launch vehicle was launched from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site at 12:15 p.m. local time today.

The launch vehicle successfully placed its payload satellite into the intended orbit.

Notably, the first-stage booster returned vertically to an offshore platform approximately six minutes after separation.

This marks the first time China has successfully recovered a first-stage booster from an orbital-class rocket.

The process involved separation from the second stage, mid-air attitude adjustment, deceleration through engine reignition, further deceleration using air resistance, and finally, landing on the offshore platform.

A 32-second video released by CCTV shows the first-stage booster, with black smoke rising from its top, slowly positioning itself and landing on the offshore platform.

The offshore platform, named Linghangzhe, measures 144 meters in length and 50 meters in width, with a full-load displacement of 25,000 tons.

Foreign media outlets assessed that with this successful recovery of the first-stage booster, China has thrown down the gauntlet in the global reusable rocket market, which has been monopolized by the United States.

Until now, only U.S.-based companies SpaceX and Blue Origin had succeeded in booster recovery tests.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9, designed and manufactured by the company, is the world’s first orbital-class reusable two-stage rocket, launching approximately 150 times per year.

By recovering the first-stage booster—the most expensive component of the rocket—and reusing it for multiple flights, the company is able to transport space cargo at a lower cost.

However, unlike the Falcon 9 and Blue Origin’s New Glenn, which use deployable landing legs, China’s Long March-10B utilizes a net system on the offshore platform.

This method involves the net on the offshore platform catching hooks attached to the rocket.

An official from CASC stated, "The net recovery method simplifies the rocket structure and reduces weight, thereby improving transport capacity," adding, "It also has the advantage of expanding the range of recovery possibilities."

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.