China successfully recovers the first stage of its Long March 10B rocket after the maiden launch, marking another step in its efforts to reuse orbital rocket components. The medium-lift Long March 10B, about 70 metres tall and roughly 5 metres wide, lifts off from the Wenchang space launch site in southern China at around 12:15 p.m. local time on Friday, according to reports drawing on state media.
Following launch, the rocket’s first stage returns vertically and is recovered using a sea-based net platform, with Xinhua describing the recovery process. The Long March 10B is a two-stage vehicle, and the first stage uses seven YF-100K engines, which burn kerosene. SpaceNews describes the recovery as China becoming the second country to recover an orbital booster, while also framing the event as progress toward broader reusability.
Across the accounts, the shared focus is the successful vertical return and sea-based recovery of the first stage from the Long March 10B maiden mission. No reports in the provided excerpts indicate issues or failures during the launch or recovery.
