China Successfully Recovers Long March 10B Rocket First Stage at Sea

Video from the channel STEALTH about Long March 10B, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 3:47. Language: English. Video type: News.

China announced the sea recovery of the Long March 10B's first stage after launching it from Hainan on July 10, 2026. After a powered descent, about six minutes after separation, the ship Linghangzhe captured the stage with a flexible net and hooks.

The rocket has two stages. The first, 5 m in diameter, carries seven YF-100K engines and is shared with the Long March 10A used in the crewed program. The second debuted a methane/liquid-oxygen engine. The mission carried an unnamed satellite.

The video takes a skeptical stance: it questions the maturity of the capture system and the plan to reuse the stage before the end of 2026, and recalls the earlier failed landings of the Long March 12A and Zhuque-3.