China has joined the small group of space powers that can now recover an orbital-class booster rocket. Developers of the landing method turned to a striking alternative to that used by existing players such as SpaceX.
China on Friday successfully recovered the booster of an orbital-class rocket for the first time, marking a major advance in its push to develop reusable launch systems.
The Long March 10B lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site in southern China at 12:15 p.m. on Friday and placed a satellite into its designated orbit, state media reported.
Around six minutes after the booster separated from the rocket's upper stage, it descended vertically toward an offshore platform and was captured by a net-based retrieval system.
Unlike the rockets used by US companies SpaceX and Blue Origin, which land autonomously on deployable legs, the Long March 10B uses four hooks to catch a net suspended above the sea platform.
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology expert Chen Muye said the approach simplifies the rocket's onboard structure, reduces its weight and could increase payload capacity.
"It is also highly adaptable to landing-point deviations, as coordinated net systems can effectively expand the capture window," Muye told state media agency Xinhua.
China has spent nearly a decade developing reusable rocket technology as it seeks to cut launch costs and support its rapidly expanding commercial satellite networks.
Previous recovery attempts by private company LandSpace and the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation failed during the final landing stage last year.
The Long March 10B is also part of the broader Long March 10 family that China is developing for planned crewed lunar missions before 2030. Data from Friday's flight could help validate technology for the country's lunar program.
Shares in several Chinese aerospace companies surged following the test, with China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications reaching their daily trading limits.
The Long March 10B can carry at least 16 metric tons into low-Earth orbit and has been compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9, which has a maximum payload of 22.8 metric tons.
SpaceX first landed a Falcon 9 booster following an orbital mission in December 2015. It now launches the rocket around 150 times a year, frequently reusing individual boosters dozens of times.
Source: www.dw.com