China has become only the second country, after the United States, to recover a reusable rocket booster, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Footage showed a Long March 10B booster descending under its own power before being caught intact in a net anchored at sea, a technique the developer says has never been achieved before. The rocket was built by the state-owned China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which hailed the maiden-flight recovery as a historic breakthrough for the country's reusable rocket ambitions.

Rather than the retractable landing legs used by SpaceX's Falcon 9 or the mechanical catch arms for Starship, the Long March 10 relied on hooks and a net to capture the booster, which CALT expects to fly again by the end of the year. The achievement supports China's goal of becoming a space power by 2030, though its launch cadence still trails the US, which carried out 193 orbital launches last year (165 by SpaceX) against China's 92 attempts. CALT's first recovery simulation in February 2026 saw a booster splash down 200 metres from the platform, while rival firm LandSpace's SpaceX-style ZhuQue-3 attempt ended in a fireball.