On Friday, the Long March 10 B made its maiden flight successfully, marking the first time a Chinese carrier rocket achieved controllable reentry.
This news has attracted the attention of Indian media.
This move by China has historical significance and holds great importance for India as well," the Indian Express newspaper said on July 11th. "China has succeeded, but India still needs at least a few years to achieve rocket controllable re-entry."
Reports say that China's latest success demonstrates that reusable orbital launch systems are no longer exclusive to the United States. Instead, they are becoming a key capability for major space-faring nations to carry out ambitious commercial and lunar exploration programs. Moreover, this also provides a useful benchmark for India's current development of reusable launch vehicles.
But for India, related research and development is still in the design phase.
According to information from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the development of India's next-generation reusable launch vehicle has already begun. The project has moved beyond the concept stage, but it has not yet fully entered the final design and testing phase.
The Indian Times reports that this competition is crucial, as the first-stage rocket is the most expensive part of the launch vehicle. Recovering and reusing the first-stage rocket can significantly lower launch costs, increase the frequency of launches, and support a wide range of tasks, from commercial satellite constellations to crewed space travel and lunar exploration. China's achievements show that reusable launch vehicles are rapidly transitioning from exceptional to routine.
American media also keep a close watch on China's aerospace progress. The New York Times pointed out that China's aerospace program has taken an important step, bringing it one step closer to achieving its goal of competing with SpaceX for dominance in the satellite industry.
Video source: Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning's social media account
On July 10th, a Long March 10 B carrier rocket was launched from the Hainan Commercial Aerospace Launch Site, successfully sending a satellite into its intended orbit.
After the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket, the first stage returned vertically, and it was recovered on a maritime recovery platform using a net-catching method. The launch and the recovery of the first stage were a complete success.
The National Space Administration stated that this mission is the first successful implementation of controllable recovery of the first stage of a launch vehicle in China, and also the world's first successful recovery of a launch vehicle using a maritime network system. This marks a significant breakthrough in China's reusable rocket technology.
