China revolutionizes space: First stage of Long March 10B rocket successfully recovered

China's space industry has reached a historic turning point: for the first time, the country has successfully landed the first stage of an orbital rocket back on Earth (specifically, on a sea platform). On July 10, the new generation Long March 10B (CZ-10B) rocket launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Hainan Island and completed its debut flight with full success. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .

This test flight is of great importance not only for China but for global astronautics as well. Approximately six minutes after liftoff, the second stage separated and continued its trajectory. The first stage performed a controlled descent and landed vertically on a special sea platform. According to Xinhua, this is China's first successful recovery experiment with a full orbital rocket.

Technological innovation and uniqueness

The most notable aspect of this mission is the method of receiving the rocket. Chinese engineers used a new sea platform equipped with a special net system to catch the booster. According to official statements, this technology is being used for the first time in global practice. This method plays a key role in increasing landing accuracy and ensuring the safety of the rocket.

The Long March 10B rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and is a two-stage liquid-fueled carrier. The first stage runs on liquid oxygen and kerosene, while the second stage uses a mixture of liquid oxygen and methane. This technical solution significantly increases the rocket's efficiency.

A worthy competitor to Falcon 9

In terms of its technical characteristics, the Long March 10B is very similar to the famous Falcon 9 rocket from the American company SpaceX. The rocket is 63 meters long, 5 meters in diameter, and has a launch mass of nearly 760 tons. These parameters allow China to launch heavy payloads into orbit cheaply and repeatedly.

This success marks a new era in China's space exploration strategy. Until now, only private US companies, particularly SpaceX led by Elon Musk, had fully mastered rocket reusability technology. Now, China has joined this prestigious club and taken a huge step toward reducing the cost of space flights.

It is worth noting that this was the 656th mission of the Long March rocket series. Although China had previously tested vertical landing technologies on small experimental vehicles, this is the first time a full stage has been recovered after an actual orbital flight. This will serve as a foundation for China's future lunar program and long-distance space flights.