China is preparing for the debut flight of its Long March 10B rocket in July, with a planned attempt to recover the first stage at sea. The mission, revealed through recently issued airspace notices, marks a significant step in the country's reusable rocket development.
The Long March 10B is a new variant of the Long March 10 family, designed for heavy-lift capacity. The vehicle is intended to support future crewed lunar missions and other deep-space exploration goals. The recovery attempt will focus on landing the first stage on a platform at sea, a technique used by SpaceX with its Falcon 9.
Airspace closures associated with the launch have been scheduled for July, indicating a firm timeline. The mission follows years of development and testing by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the state-owned prime contractor. Previous iterations of the Long March series have not featured reusable first stages.
The attempt represents a direct challenge to SpaceX's dominance in reusable rocket technology. If successful, China would become only the second nation to recover an orbital-class rocket stage at sea, leapfrogging other international players like Russia and Europe, which have yet to operationalize similar systems. The test aligns with China's broader push to lower launch costs and increase launch cadence.
Sources did not disclose the mission's payload or specific budget details. The debut is a high-risk test; failures in first-stage recovery are common in early attempts. The outcome will influence China's pace in developing fully reusable launch vehicles, a cornerstone of its long-term space roadmap.