In brief
China’s Long March 10B has landed a reusable booster for the first time, signaling a major stride for the country’s space ambitions and putting it in line with SpaceX and Blue Origin. The rocket lifted off from Hainan at roughly 04:15 GMT, returned vertically after six minutes, and was captured by a floating platform. The achievement could challenge US dominance and lower satellite launch costs by enabling booster reuse. Shares in Chinese space firms rose sharply following the launch announcement.
China has successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time in a major breakthrough for the country's space programme, according to state media.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said the Long March 10B rocket lifted off from Hainan in southern China at 12:15 local time (04:15GMT) on Friday. After around six minutes of flight, the booster separated from the upper stage, returned to Earth vertically, and was recovered on a floating platform.
This achievement suggests China may soon challenge America’s dominance in reusable rockets, following successful landings by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Blue Origin’s New Glenn.
Traditionally, rocket components are discarded and destroyed during ascent, making launches expensive. By reusing boosters—often the most economical segment—costs for satellite launches could be significantly lowered.
SpaceX first landed a Falcon 9 in December 2015, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn in November 2025. Since then, Falcon 9 has launched about 150 times per year with boosters reused multiple times.
China’s first attempt in February with a Long March 10A also concluded with a controlled descent and a splashdown beside a recovery platform. The Long March 10B, capable of carrying at least 16 metric tons to low‑Earth orbit, is compared to Falcon 9 but uses “landing hooks” that deploy a net on the floating platform rather than autonomous landing.
Following the announcement, shares in Chinese space firms surged, with China Space and China Satellite Communications each rising by 10%, the maximum allowed in the country’s financial market regulations.
