China Long March 10B Reusable 1st Stage Sea Landing Wire Locking Mechanism

China Long March 10B Reusable 1st Stage Sea Landing Wire Locking Mechanism

A very close glimpse of the "hanger" structures on the Long March 10B's recoverable first stage, along with its grid fins for steering. The hanger has a matching locking mechanism for the cable on the drone ship landing platform. This is why it appears firmly attached to the ship's cable in landing footage. Work on the Long March 10B's unique sea-based cabling recovery system began in 2022 and the technology had its maiden flight in 2026—just four years later—a world first. This design eliminates the need for first stage landing legs, saving weight and fuel for a larger rocket payload capacity.

China succeeded in recovering part of its Long March 10B reusable rocket on its maiden launch on Friday, July 10, 2026, marking China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage and representing a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology. This makes China the second country after the United States to have demonstrated such a capability.

The Long March-10B is China's next-generation rocket built specifically for the commercial space market. In its reusable configuration, it can deliver 16 tonnes to low Earth orbit, supporting missions ranging from satellite Internet constellations to large commercial satellite launches.

Long March 10B's propulsion system has
>7 YF-100 engines
>5 gimballed for vector thrust control
>2 fixed-thrust

During reentry, two engines are fired for deceleration. At landing, three engines are fired again, then two shut down. One then continues until fully landed.

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 rocket with a five-meter diameter core. The rocket utilizes liquid oxygen and kerosene for its first stage and liquid oxygen and methane for its second.

The Long March-10B rocket stands about 63 meters tall with a takeoff thrust of 890 tons.

The successful maiden flight of the Long March-10B on July 10, 2026, marks the 657th launch of the Long March rocket series.

Video Credit: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: July 12, 2026

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