China Joins the Reusable Rocket Club
China’s state-owned space company, the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), has successfully launched a Long March orbital rocket and landed its booster on a seagoing recovery vessel. The July 10, 2026 demonstration makes China the second country to achieve this feat, following SpaceX’s pioneering work with the Falcon 9.
Capturing the Booster: Netting at Sea
Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which uses unfolding landing legs to settle onto a floating platform, China’s method employs netting strung across a large frame on the recovery ship to capture the descending rocket. The controlled flight back to the ship relies on sophisticated guidance software, sensors, and engines capable of restarting and surviving the atmospheric reentry.
Payload and Reuse Plans
CASC stated that the recovered booster can carry about as much payload as SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The company plans to attempt reusing the same booster by the end of the year, matching the cost-saving strategy that has propelled SpaceX to dominate the launch market.
Implications for Global Space Competition
SpaceX currently breaks launch records annually with its reusable Falcon 9 fleet, supporting its Starlink satellite network plus missions for NASA and the U.S. Space Force. National security rules effectively split the global rocket market between the U.S./Europe and Russia/China, so China will not directly compete for SpaceX’s customers. However, a reusable rocket enables China’s own satellite communications networks and future orbital data centers to rival SpaceX’s offerings.
Strategic Threats to Starlink and U.S. Military Advantage
Analysts project that Chinese reusable rockets could intensify competition for Starlink in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. For the U.S. military, this diminishes the advantage in space. Days before the Long March recovery, investigative journalists released documents showing China and Russia cooperating on ways to damage Starlink due to its success in Ukraine.
SpaceX is racing to get its larger Starship rocket flying successfully. The last attempt ended in failure, but Musk’s newly public conglomerate is expected to try again this month. A recent static fire test of Starship’s huge booster appeared to proceed smoothly.
Other U.S. Reusable Rocket Efforts
Blue Origin recovered a booster in 2025 and earlier this year, but suffered a setback when one of its rockets failed in May, delaying further attempts. Rocket Lab is working on the reusable Neutron, while other companies are developing fully reusable rockets expected to test this year.
Outlook
China’s successful booster recovery marks a significant step toward reusable launch capability, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape in satellite communications and space access.