Overview
- China launched the Long March 10B from Hainan on Friday, July 10, 2026, and the rocket placed its payload into the planned orbit before the two stages separated about six minutes after liftoff.
- The first-stage returned vertically and was caught on the 25,000‑ton recovery ship Navigator using a giant flexible net and an arrestor hook, a system guided by grid fins that does not require landing legs.
- Mission statements say the flight validated key reuse technologies, including multi‑start engines with high‑altitude ignition, diaphragm‑based propellant management and high‑precision navigation for sea capture.
- China Petroleum & Chemical (Sinopec) supplied domestically processed methane fuel for the flight, reporting about 98.7% purity from LNG feedstock and claiming lower storage and transport costs versus liquid hydrogen.
- The program has announced plans to re‑fly the recovered first stage before the end of 2026, a step analysts say will test operational turnaround and determine how the net‑capture approach compares to airborne mechanical retrieval methods.