WENCHANG, Hainan: China has successfully retrieved the first stage of the Long March-10 carrier rocket from the sea, completing the country’s first-ever maritime salvage and recovery mission of a rocket first-stage booster.
The maritime search and recovery team finished the operation on Friday morning, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The milestone marks a significant step forward in advancing China’s reusable launch vehicle technology.
The Long March-10 lifted off at 11:00 a.m. Beijing Time on Wednesday. Shortly after launch, its first stage separated as planned and made a controlled splashdown in a designated sea area.
Designed primarily for future manned lunar exploration missions, the Long March-10 also supports near-Earth space station operations. Its first-stage booster, developed under the Long March-10A configuration, is built for reuse, highlighting China’s growing capabilities in cost-effective and sustainable spaceflight technology.
