Revolution in China's space industry: Long March 10B rocket to be tested for reusability for the first time

China is on the verge of starting a new era in space technology. The country is preparing for the first orbital launch of its reusable Long March 10B rocket. According to notices issued for aviation and maritime safety, this important flight is expected to take place between July 10 and July 13 of this year. This is reported by Ixbt.com news.

The Long March 10B is a two-stage rocket powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen, serving as the foundation for China's future lunar missions. This rocket is essentially the cargo version of the Long March 10A model, designed to transport taikonauts to Earth orbit and subsequently to the Moon. This flight, conducted from the commercial spaceport on Hainan Island, will be a decisive step in testing the orbital capabilities of the new rocket series.

Reusability technology and maritime operations

According to SpaceNews, the most exciting part of this mission will be the attempt to land the first stage of the rocket back on Earth. Currently, the rocket has been delivered to the launch pad, and a special ship has set off for the designated ocean landing zone. This ship is equipped with a net capture system designed to safely receive the descending rocket stage at sea level.

If this test concludes successfully, it will go down in history as China's third attempt to recover rocket stages. Previously, similar experiments were conducted with LandSpace's Zhuque-3 and the Long March 12A rocket developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). However, the Long March 10 series stands out as a strategic state-level project.

Lunar mission and economic efficiency

The Long March 10 program holds a central place in China's space exploration strategy. The introduction of reusable technologies will significantly reduce the cost of transporting cargo into space. This will allow for increased flight frequency and strengthen competitiveness in the international space market.

As a reminder, a pre-flight rehearsal for this rocket was conducted in April, but the main launch was delayed for unknown reasons. Experts believe that the success of the Long March 10B will give China great confidence in realizing its plans to land its taikonauts on the lunar surface by 2030. Currently, the global space community is closely watching the events unfolding in Hainan on July 10.