China Lands Reusable Rocket, Boosts Space Ambitions

POLICY WIRE — Beijing, China — China has successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time, a development state media described as a major breakthrough for the nation’s space program.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) reported that the Long March 10B rocket lifted off from Hainan in southern China on Friday at 12:15 local time (04:15 GMT). The booster section of the rocket returned to Earth vertically approximately six minutes after separating from its upper stage, according to CASC. It was subsequently recovered on a floating platform.

This achievement indicates China’s potential to challenge the established dominance of American companies in reusable rocket technology, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. The ability to reuse rocket components is considered a critical factor in reducing the substantial costs associated with space launches, as traditional rockets are typically designed to be expendable, with segments discarded during ascent.

By recovering and reusing boosters, which are generally regarded as the most valuable parts of a rocket, the financial burden of satellite deployments and broader space exploration initiatives can be significantly lowered. SpaceX, a leader in this field, first successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket from an orbital flight in December 2015. Blue Origin’s New Glenn is reported to have achieved a similar feat in November 2025. The Falcon 9 currently conducts approximately 150 launches annually, utilizing boosters capable of being reused dozens of times.

China had previously made an attempt at reusable rocket recovery in February with a Long March 10A rocket. That earlier effort involved a controlled descent — and splashed down next to a recovery platform. The Long March 10B, the rocket involved in the recent successful landing, is capable of carrying a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit and has been compared to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in terms of its capacity.

However, the Long March 10B employs a distinct recovery mechanism compared to the Falcon 9. While the Falcon 9 performs autonomous landings on either a ground pad or a drone ship, the Long March 10B utilizes “landing hooks” designed to catch a net attached to a floating platform for its recovery, as reported.

Following the announcement of the successful landing, shares in Chinese space-related companies experienced a notable increase. China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications each saw their stock prices rise by 10%, reaching the daily limit permitted under the country’s financial market regulations.