China Has Tested (and Recovered) Its Reusable Rocket! (CZ-10B)

Video from the channel AstroKevin, la Chaîne Espace et Astronomie about Long March 10B, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 8:52. Language: French. Video type: News.

The video, published hours after launch, reviews the maiden flight of the Long March 10B, which lifted off in the morning, French time, and whose first stage was recovered. With visible hooks on the rocket, the stage was caught by the cables of a recovery vessel. With this flight, China becomes the second country with a reusable rocket that has flown successfully.

The system uses four movable cables that close around the stage, giving more margin for error than a precise single-point capture. A lidar measures its position, a lower net supports it once the engines shut down, and an arm holds it during the return to port. The author compares it to the net SpaceX considered for Starship around 2020-2021. He notes that other Chinese rockets had already flown without managing to land, such as LandSpace's Zhuque-3 or the Long March 12A. On February 11 there was also a test flight without a second stage to rehearse the Mengzhou capsule's escape system, after which the stage landed in the ocean next to the recovery vessel.

The flight was not flawless: thick black smoke was seen near the joint with the second stage, probably from a fire when the engine ignited. Even so, the stage was recovered without problems and should fly again before the end of the year. The rocket measures 70 m with the second stage and payload fairing, is 5 m in diameter and launches 16 tonnes. The author links it to China's crewed lunar program and notes that it is still unclear how the family's different versions will be reused.