China recovers orbital-class rocket booster

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China on Friday recovered an orbital-class booster from a Long March 10B rocket for the first time, after a launch from the Hainan commercial space site placed a satellite into its designated orbit. About six minutes after stage separation the booster descended vertically and was caught by a net-based retrieval system on an offshore platform using four hooks, a design said to simplify onboard structure and raise payload capacity. The test follows failed recovery attempts last year, could lower launch costs for China's growing satellite networks, and may help validate hardware for planned crewed lunar missions before 2030.

China successfully recovered a Long March 10B booster at sea