China becomes the second country to recover a rocket booster - Engadget

China Central Television

China has become just the second country to capture a reusable rocket, heralding a breakthrough in the country's space program, according to China's state television CCTV. Footage showed the Long March 10B rocket booster descending and being caught by a net, the first time such a feat has been accomplished.

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 (Gemini translated) statement.

CALT used a novel system to catch the booster. Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9 that uses retractable landing legs (or external mechanical arms for Starship), the Long March 10 caught the rocket using hooks on a net — a world's first, the company said. The rocket was captured intact and CALT expects to reuse it in another flight by the end of this year.

A video shows the rocket slowly descending on its own power until the rockets cut and it is apparently captured. The grappling mechanism itself isn't clearly visible. The feat was accompanied by cheering, presumably from CALT staff.

China intends to build itself into a space power by 2030 and its ability to reuse booster rockets is a key part of that. Despite its aim, China's pace for rocket launches lags well behind the US. Last year, the US conducted 193 orbital launches (165 by SpaceX alone) compared to 92 attempts for China.

CALT's first simulation at a 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 up in a fireball, which the company declined to show.