Long March 10B achieves world first: orbital booster recovery via net system

CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.)/Long March 10

The Long March 10B made its maiden orbital flight on July 10, 2026, and successfully recovered its booster using a net-catch system on a recovery vessel in the South China Sea, a world first. The booster caught hooks on a gridwork net at orbital speeds minutes after separation, making China the second nation to recover an orbital booster and the first to do so via net-based system rather than landing legs or parachute.