China has successfully recovered the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket booster on land using a net [1], [2].
The achievement represents a critical step in China's effort to develop reusable launch technology. By reducing the cost of space access, the country aims to narrow the technical gap with U.S. companies, specifically SpaceX [1], [3].
The landing test occurred on July 10, 2026 [4]. While China had previously conducted recoveries at sea, this event marks the first time the nation has captured a booster on land [2]. State media said the event was "a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology" [2].
China is now the second country to recover a rocket booster on land [4]. The process involved the Long March-10B first stage, which was caught by a net system during its descent [2], [3]. State media said that "China has successfully recaptured the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time" [5].
The push for reusability is central to China's broader space ambitions. Recovering boosters allows for faster turnaround times between launches, a capability that has allowed U.S. private industry to dominate the current commercial satellite market [1].
Officials from the China National Space Administration have not released further technical details regarding the specific net mechanism used in the July 10 test [4]. However, the successful capture indicates that the flight control and descent systems of the Long March-10B are functioning as intended for land-based recovery [1], [3].
“"a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology"”
The transition from sea-based to land-based recovery is a significant technical leap that reduces the logistical complexity of refurbishing rockets. By successfully capturing the Long March-10B booster, China demonstrates it can execute the precise guidance and recovery maneuvers necessary to challenge the current US monopoly on reusable heavy-lift launch vehicles.
