Reusable rocket - China makes landmark landing | Electronics Weekly
The BBC reports that six minutes after separating from the rocket’s upper stage, its booster returned to Earth. It was recovered on a floating platform. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a. . .
The BBC reports that six minutes after separating from the rocket’s upper stage, its booster returned to Earth. It was recovered on a floating platform. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a government body, has developed the technology. Citing Chinese state media, itsaysthe Long March 10B rocket lifted off from Hainan in southern China at 04:15 (GMT) on Friday. You can watch it in the video below. The significance in rocket booster reuse, beyond the technological accomplishment itself, is in reducing the costs of orbital flights, as well as minimising environmental impacts around manufacturing and debris. Note that the Long March 10B uses hooks on the rocket to catch a landing net attached to a floating platform. Unlike the unlike the Falcon 9, which can autonomously land precisely on a drone ship or landing base. The Long March 10B can carry a 16 metric ton payload to LEO (low-Earth orbit). Reusable rocketsIt was 11 years ago, in 2015, that SpaceX first landed the reusable Falcon 9 for the first time after an orbital flight. Blue Origin’s New Glenn managed the same feat a decade later in 2025, on its NG-2 mission. You can read more about the Long March 10B on the English language version of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technologywebsite. See all our Space content.