China Launches Reusable Long March 10B Rocket

The rocket was launched from the southern Chinese island of Hainan at 12.15 local time from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Centre in Wenchang. The test involved the first stage of the Long March 10B, an orbital-class rocket type designed to be reusable. According to state television station CCTV, approximately six minutes after the separation of the first stage and its upper stage, the first-stage booster returned to Earth and landed on a floating platform. The CNSA believes that landing with a net is more flexible in adapting to rocket landing requirements compared to the landing solutions commonly used at present.