China Becomes Second Country to Successfully Recover Rocket Booster

China has become the second country in the world to capture a reusable rocket booster, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Footage shows the Long March 10B booster descending and being caught by a net – the first time such a method has been successfully employed.

The rocket, on its maiden flight, was developed by the state-owned China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). "The mission marks a historic breakthrough for China in the field of reusable rocket technology and will lay a solid foundation for accelerating the enhancement of the country's space access capabilities," CALT said in a statement.

Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9, which uses retractable landing legs, the Long March 10 caught the rocket using hooks on a net – a world first, the company said. The booster was captured intact, and CALT expects to reuse it in another flight by the end of this year.

China aims to establish itself as a space power by 2030, and reusable booster technology is key to that goal. However, China's launch pace still lags behind the United States – last year the US conducted 193 orbital launches (165 by SpaceX alone) compared to China's 92 attempts.

CALT's first simulated reusable rocket recovery in February 2026 ended with the booster splashing down 200 meters from the recovery platform. Another private Beijing-based company, LandSpace, uses a more SpaceX-like mechanical leg system for its ZhuQue-3 rocket. That attempt came close to success but ended in a fireball, which the company declined to show.