China lands reusable Long March 10B booster for first time
Why it matters: Reusing boosters can sharply cut launch costs, and shares in China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications hit their 10% daily limits.
China carried out its first successful landing of a reusable rocket booster, a step that could lower launch costs and strengthen its commercial space ambitions. State media said a Long March 10B lifted off from Hainan at 12:15 a.m. local time Friday and, after separating from its upper stage, returned to Earth about six minutes later. The booster descended vertically and was recovered on a floating platform using landing hooks and a net. The test follows a February attempt by a Long March 10A that ended with a controlled splashdown near a recovery platform. The Long March 10B can carry at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit and has drawn comparisons with SpaceX's Falcon 9.