Catching Returning Rockets With a Net: Harbin Institute of Technology Gathers Space Talent

The first-stage booster that separated from China's Long March-10B rocket approaches a platform at sea, reducing its speed through retro-propulsion.

[When the rocket returns, a net deploys at a set altitude to stably catch the descending rocket from the sky.]

Unlike the United States, which catches boosters using robot arms on the launch pad, China successfully recovered its booster using a net.

This makes China the second country to possess rocket reusability technology, and the Harbin Institute of Technology, located in Harbin in northeastern China, contributed to this process.

University researchers participated in developing core modules, including a device to safely capture boosters falling at ultra-high speeds, stabilize their posture after recovery, and an automatic securing system.

Established in 1920, Harbin Institute of Technology is a prestigious institution that has produced talent in strategic fields such as aerospace, missiles, and artificial satellites.

Because of this, the U.S. Department of Commerce placed the university on its export control list in 2020, and China has since been accelerating core technology self-reliance centered around universities and research institutions.

Inside the Harbin Institute of Technology campus is an aerospace museum where visitors can see the achievements of China's space industry at a glance, with an average of 6,000 people visiting daily on weekends to learn about rocket propulsion principles and satellite structures.

[Wang Lingqi (17) : The model of the Dongfeng-2 at the entrance was impressive. It was much larger than I had imagined. I think China's space industry is progressing every year.]

Professors who once nurtured younger generations in laboratories volunteer as exhibition docents after retirement.

[Wang Luowei / Museum Docent : The Harbin Institute of Technology Aerospace Museum has a professional volunteer corps. It consists entirely of retired professors and experts, and its purpose is to share the achievements and technologies of the aerospace industry with people.]

The aerospace museum is packed like this with students from all over the country during the vacation season.

Ultimately, this high level of interest in the space industry serves as the driving force behind its development.

(Reported by Choi Duk-hyun | Video by Kim Ho-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.