China Long March 10B Reusable Rocket Launch and First Stage Recovery Success
On its first flight, a China Long March 10B Y1 launch vehicle lifted off from Commercial Launch Pad 2 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on July 10, 2026, at 12:15 pm China Standard Time (04:15 Universal Coordinated Time). Aside from the successful recovery of the first stage booster at sea using its unique cable net recovery system, the rocket's second stage successfully delivered an experimental satellite payload, built by China Satellite Network Group, designated ‘CX-26’, into its predetermined 800-kilometer low Earth orbit. This is another step toward cheaper launches and faster deployment of China's satellite Internet constellations. The Long March 10B has officially become China's first operational reusable rocket by achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage.
Ascent away from the launch site was as expected with the seven YF-100K engines providing the thrust needed. Those burned for about two and a half minutes before shutting down for stage separation. Then, the second-stage’s YF-219 ignited to continue flight into orbit.
About six minutes after stage separation, the first stage returned vertically and was caught on an offshore drone ship platform named 'Linghangzhe'. The Long March 10B’s first-stage booster ignited three YF-100K engines for the last time, then swapped to one to slow and position itself onto the tensioned steel wires of ‘Linghangzhe’, where it was successfully caught. The catch took place 430 kilometers downrange and makes the launch vehicle China’s first proven partially reusable rocket.
Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Long March-10B is a large, two-stage liquid-fueled carrier rocket featuring a 5-meter diameter core. Standing approximately 63 meters tall with a takeoff thrust of 890 tons, the rocket utilizes liquid oxygen and kerosene for its first stage and liquid oxygen and methane for its second.
Designed with reusability in mind, it boasts a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity of 16 tonnes in reusable mode, offering a highly cost-effective solution for deploying large commercial satellites and LEO internet constellations.
The July 10 mission successfully validated several core technologies, including combined configuration optimization, methane autogenous pressurization, and propellant management using baffled tanks. Notably, it demonstrated critical first-stage reuse technologies such as multiple engine restarts, high-altitude ignition, adaptability to complex aerothermal environments, high-precision navigation and control, and a sea-based net-capture recovery system.
Today’s mission was the first for the Long March 10B vehicle, the first full flight of the Long March 10 series, and the 657th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 48th launch from China in 2026.
Date: July 10, 2026
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