The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has successfully recovered the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket using a sea-based retrieval system.

中國航天科技集團（CASC）利用海上回收系統，成功回收了長征十號B火箭的第一級。

The recovery operation commenced following the launch of the Long March-10B from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan. Approximately six minutes post-separation from the upper stage, the booster executed a controlled vertical descent and was captured by a net-based system on the recovery vessel 'Linghangzhe'. This technical approach utilizes landing hooks to secure the vehicle, a departure from the deployable landing legs employed by United States entities such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. According to Chen Muye of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), this methodology reduces vehicle mass, simplifies onboard architecture, and expands the capture window by mitigating the impact of landing-point deviations.

回收行動在海南文昌航天發射場發射長征十號B之後開始。在與上級分開約六分鐘後，助推器執行了受控的垂直下降，並被回收船「領航者」號上的網狀系統捕捉。這種技術方案是使用著陸鉤來固定火箭，與 SpaceX 和 Blue Origin 等美國機構使用的可展開著陸腿不同。根據中國運載火箭技術研究院（CALT）的陳沐業表示，這個方法可以減少火箭重量，簡化機載結構，並透過減輕著陸點偏差的影響，擴大捕捉窗口。

Historically, the development of this capability follows a decade of iterative testing, including several failed recovery attempts by state and private actors, such as LandSpace, in December of the preceding year. The Long March-10B, capable of delivering at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, is integrated into a broader strategic framework. This includes the 'Guowang' satellite constellation project and planned crewed lunar missions slated for completion before 2030. The successful retrieval of the first stage—the most capital-intensive component of the launch vehicle—is intended to amortize manufacturing costs across multiple missions, thereby increasing launch frequency and reducing operational expenditures.

從歷史發展來看，這項能力是經過十年反覆測試而來的，當中包括去年十二月由國有與私人機構（例如藍箭航天 LandSpace）進行的幾次失敗回收嘗試。長征十號B可以將至少16公噸貨物送入近地軌道，是更廣泛戰略框架的一部分。這包括「國網」衛星星座計劃，以及計劃在2030年之前完成的載人登月任務。成功回收第一級（是發射載具中最昂貴的部分）旨在將製造成本分攤到多次任務中，從而增加發射頻率並降低運營開支。

On a global scale, this achievement places China in a limited cohort of nations possessing orbital-class recovery capabilities. While SpaceX maintains a significant lead in operational cadence, launching approximately 150 Falcon 9 vehicles annually, China's successful demonstration provides a viable alternative to the American model. Other international actors continue to pursue similar objectives: Japan's JAXA and the European Space Agency are in prototype testing phases, while India's ISRO and Russia's Amur-SPG program remain in development or design stages. The geopolitical implication involves a potential diminution of the U.S. strategic advantage in space access, particularly regarding the deployment of commercial broadband constellations in emerging markets.

在全球層面，這次成就使中國進入了少數擁有軌道級回收能力的國家行列。雖然 SpaceX 在運營頻率方面領先許多，每年發射約150枚獵鷹9號（Falcon 9）火箭，但中國的成功演示提供了一個可以替代美國模式的方案。其他國際參與者亦繼續追求類似目標：日本 JAXA 和歐洲航天局處於原型測試階段，而印度 ISRO 和俄羅斯 Amur-SPG 計劃則仍處於開發或設計階段。地緣政治影響在於，美國在太空進入方面的戰略優勢可能會減弱，尤其是在新興市場部署商業寬頻衛星星座方面。

China has validated a net-based recovery system for orbital boosters and intends to reuse the recovered Long March-10B stage by the end of the current calendar year.

中國驗證了一套用於軌道助推器的網狀回收系統，並打算在今年年底前重複使用回收的長征十號B第一級。