China achieved a milestone in its space program by successfully landing the first stage of a rocket following a launch on Friday, as reported by state media. The Long March-10B rocket’s first stage separated from the second stage after liftoff and safely returned to a sea platform, marking China’s first successful recovery of a rocket stage.
This accomplishment puts China in line with companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, which have been reusing rocket boosters to reduce launch costs. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has conducted over 600 landings of its first-stage Falcon boosters, while Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has also been recovering and reusing its rockets since 2015.
In a bid to further enhance cost-efficiency, SpaceX is working on capturing returning rockets with mechanical arms at the launch pad, particularly for its Starship rockets. Blue Origin, on the other hand, has been landing its boosters on a floating platform off the Florida coast.
With China now joining the rocket recycling trend, Japan is gearing up for its own launch and landing attempts. The Long March rocket, launched from Hainan Island in China, has a reusable configuration capable of launching payloads of up to 16,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO).
In comparison, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 can carry a maximum payload of 22,800 kilograms, while the Falcon Heavy can transport up to 63,800 kilograms to LEO. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is designed to launch payloads of up to 45,000 kilograms.
Rocket Lab USA, a smaller launch company, also made headlines by successfully capturing its first stage rocket in 2022 using a helicopter before dropping it into the ocean.
