China Achieves Reusable Rocket Milestone with First Successful Booster Recovery
China has successfully recovered the first-stage booster of an orbital launch vehicle for the first time.
US President Donald Trump attends discussion to enhance economic cooperation between countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment on May 14, 2026. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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hina has successfully recovered the first-stage booster of an orbital launch vehicle for the first time, marking a significant advance in its efforts to develop reusable rocket technology and narrow the gap with the United States in commercial and strategic space capabilities.
The breakthrough came during the launch of the Long March-10B rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Hainan Island on Friday. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, the rocket’s first-stage booster separated approximately six minutes after liftoff before returning to a floating platform, where it executed a controlled vertical landing.
Video released by state media showed the booster descending under powered flight and touching down on the offshore platform, with smoke visible near its upper section during the landing.
The mission also successfully placed a satellite into orbit, state media reported.
Historic breakthrough
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the state-owned company that developed the rocket, described the achievement as a “historic breakthrough” for the country’s reusable launch technology.
“This mission signifies a historic breakthrough in China’s reusable rocket technology and lays a solid foundation for accelerating improvements in China’s space access capabilities,” the company said in a statement.
The successful recovery represents a key step in Beijing’s broader ambition to become a leading space power while reducing the cost and turnaround time of future launches.
Reusable rockets have transformed the commercial launch industry by allowing expensive boosters to be recovered and flown multiple times, significantly lowering launch costs. The technology has become a cornerstone of U.S.-based SpaceX’s dominance of the global launch market after the company pioneered routine booster landings nearly a decade ago.
Blue Origin, another American space company, also achieved its first successful recovery of the New Glenn rocket’s first-stage booster last November.
Reusable rocket tests
China has intensified efforts to develop comparable capabilities through both its state-backed aerospace program and an expanding commercial space sector. Several Chinese companies have conducted reusable rocket tests in recent months, although earlier attempts experienced setbacks.
The Long March-10 series is expected to play a central role in China’s long-term space ambitions, including planned crewed missions to the Moon. Chinese authorities have identified reusable launch systems as a strategic priority for strengthening the country’s access to space and supporting future satellite, exploration and defense-related missions.
(Source: CNN)
