China takes a page from SpaceX and recaptures the first stage of a rocket to reuse it

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a drone photo shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system near Wenchang in southern China's Hainan province on Friday, July 10, 2026. (Xing Guangli/Xinhua News Agency via AP) 2026-07-10T09:17:44Z BEIJING (AP) — China successfully recaptured the first stage of a rocket after a launch on Friday in a breakthrough for the country’s space program, state media said. The first stage of a Long March-10B rocket separated from the second stage after liftoff and returned to a platform in the sea, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It was the first time China recovered the first stage of a rocket. America’s SpaceX has been doing so for several years to drive down launch costs by reusing the booster that helps lift the satellites or whatever the rocket is carrying into space. The Long March rocket was launched from China’s Hainan Island, a popular beach destination off the country’s southern coast. The rocket’s reusable configuration can launch a payload of up to 16,000 kilograms (35,275 pounds) into what is called low Earth orbit, Xinhua said. The maximum payload of the SpaceX Falcon 9 is 22,800 kilograms (50,265 pounds), according to the SpaceX website. The Falcon rockets transport astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.