China has successfully recovered a reusable rocket after launch for the first time
For the first time in its history, China has successfully performed a controlled reentry of the first stage of a reusable launch vehicle. This occurred during the launch of the new “Changzheng-10B” rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center.
The rocket successfully placed its payload into the intended orbit. After the first stage separated, it was returned to a sea platform, where it was recovered using a special system.
The “Changzheng-10B” is a reusable liquid-fueled launch vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). It is approximately 63 meters long, has a launch mass of 760 metric tons, and is capable of delivering up to 16 metric tons of payload into low Earth orbit.
This marks China’s first successful attempt to recover a reusable rocket, while U.S. companies SpaceX and Blue Origin had previously mastered similar technologies.
Source: Xinhua.
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