China recovers a rocket booster for the first time with Long March 10B

On July 10, state contractor CASC flew the maiden mission of its new single-stick, partially reusable Long March 10B from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site and, about 11 minutes after liftoff, recovered the rocket's first stage on a sea-based platform using a net-capture system - China's first-ever controlled recovery of an orbital-class booster. The feat makes China the second country after the United States to demonstrate first-stage recovery, and the first to do it via net capture rather than landing legs. CASC said it aims to refurbish and refly the recovered booster before the end of 2026, a step toward closing the reusability gap with SpaceX.