At 7th July , 2026 Beijing time, the Long March 10B Yao 1 carrier rocket began erection at Launch Complex 2 of the CNSA – China National Space Administration- Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China. . At midnight on July 7, the Long March 10B Y1 carrier rocket was successfully transferred to Launch Pad 2 at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site.
China Achieves First Controlled Rocket Recovery -Long March 10B Rocket Successfully Achieves Controlled Recovery of First Stage
At 12:15 PM on July 10, 2026, the Long March 10B carrier rocket launched from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. Approximately six minutes after the first and second stages separated, the first stage returned vertically and was successfully recovered on a sea-based recovery platform.
This marks China’s first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket’s first stage, and also the world’s first network-based recovery of a carrier rocket. [Long March 10B Rocket Successfully Achieves Controlled Recovery of First Stage] At 12:15 PM on July 10, 2026, the Long March 10B carrier rocket launched from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. Approximately six minutes after the first and second stages separated, the first stage returned vertically and was successfully recovered on a sea-based recovery platform.
This marks China’s first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket’s first stage, and also the world’s first network-based recovery of a carrier rocket.
At 12:15 on July 10, 2026, the Long March 10B carrier rocket successfully completed the world’s first net-system recovery of a carrier rocket at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The first stage landed vertically and was precisely captured by the sea platform.
I. Task Overview
- Launch time : Approximately 12:10 to 12:15 PM on July 10, 2026.
- Launch site : Launch pad 2 at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site.1
- Recovery time : Approximately 6 minutes after the first and second stages of the rocket separated, the first stage was successfully recovered on the sea recovery platform
- Technological breakthrough : China has successfully implemented the first-stage controlled recovery of a carrier rocket for the first time, and it is also the world’s first verification of a carrier rocket’s net-system recovery
II. Highlights of Grid-Based Recycling Technology
- Capture method : The first stage of the rocket does not have landing legs installed. Instead, it has four sets of folding hooks at the bottom. When it descends to the airspace above the recovery ship, it is captured in the air by a high-strength flexible barrier net.
- Weight reduction advantages : It eliminates approximately 2 tons of dead weight on the landing legs, and the near-Earth orbit carrying capacity in the recovered state is still no less than 16 tons.
- Fault-tolerant design : The fault-tolerant window for recovery is widened to ±50 meters, and the requirement for engine thrust adjustment accuracy is relaxed from 1% to 5%.
- Specifications of the recovery vessel : The dedicated recovery vessel “Navigator” is 144 meters long and 50 meters wide, with a full load displacement of 25,000 tons, and is equipped with a DP2 dynamic positioning system.
III. Rocket Core Parameters
| Parameters | index |
| configuration | The arrow has a two-stage, smooth shaft design, a body diameter of 5 meters, and a total height of nearly 70 meters. |
| Core Level 1 Power | Seven YF-100N liquid oxygen/kerosene engines (reusable), with a takeoff thrust of approximately 892 tons. |
| Secondary power | YF-219 Liquid Oxygen Methane Engine |
| Recovery status capacity | Low Earth orbit ≥16 tons, 900 km SSO orbit ≥11 tons |
| Reuse Target | The first stage has been reused more than 10 times, and the rocket body has a turnover time of approximately 72 hours. |
IV. Recycling Process
- Primary and secondary separation.
- The grid rudder adjusts the attitude.
- High-altitude reverse thrust deceleration.
- Atmospheric reentry.
- Low-altitude depth throttling.
- Dynamic alignment of ship and rocket.
- Hook-lock cable flexible capture.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration