(Yicai) July 10 -- China has successfully completed its first controlled recovery of the first stage of a rocket launch vehicle, while validating the world’s first “at-sea net-based recovery” technology at the same time. 

At 12.15 pm today, a Long March 10B carrier rocket was launched from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. After about six minutes since the separation between the first and second stages, the first stage returned vertically and was successfully recovered on the offshore recovery platform, broadcaster China Central Television reported.

The rocket has a 5-meter core diameter designed for commercial aerospace, and its development was led by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. 

Wang Long, founder of aerospace media agency Hello Space, said that China’s offshore system has advantages compared with the mainstream landing leg-based recovery system used by companies such as US-based SpaceX. 

China’s offshore net-based recovery solution has less strict requirements for the accuracy of the landing point at the end of the sub stage, Wang said, and removes the need to install heavy landing support mechanisms on the rocket.

Another major feature of the offshore net-based recovery solution is its flexibility, said Xie Hongjun, chairman of Shanghai i-Space Sky-Based Computing Technology, as this enables recovery along the flight route‌, significantly saves fuel, and increases transport capacity.

“This solution can reduce the rocket launch cost and promote the development of other reusable rockets, thereby further promoting the formation of engineering, batch processing, and scheduled operation capabilities,” Xie said. After state-backed enterprises achieve rocket recovery, private firms will also step up the improvement of their rocket technologies and capabilities, Xie added.

Editor: Tom Litting