China has successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time, according to state media, marking a significant milestone for the country's space programme. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said its Long March 10B rocket lifted off from Hainan in southern China, and roughly six minutes after separating from the upper stage, its booster returned vertically to Earth and was recovered on a floating platform. The achievement suggests China may be positioned to challenge America's dominance in reusable rockets, a technology that can substantially lower the cost of satellite launches and space exploration by reusing boosters rather than discarding them.

The Long March 10B, which can carry a payload of at least 16 metric tonnes to low-Earth orbit, has been compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9, though it lands differently: rather than touching down autonomously on a pad or drone ship, its "landing hooks" catch a net attached to a floating platform. The launch took place at 12:15 local time (04:15 GMT) on Friday and followed China's first recovery attempt in February, when a Long March 10A completed a controlled descent and splashed down beside a platform. For context, SpaceX first landed a Falcon 9 from an orbital flight in December 2015 and now launches around 150 times a year, while Blue Origin landed its New Glenn in November 2025. Following the news, shares in China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications each rose 10%, the daily limit permitted under Chinese market rules.