17 July 2026 year China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (Hull) successfully landed the first stage of the Changzheng-10B missile on a sea barge. The country became the second in the world (after the USA), which implemented such technology for the purpose of degree reuse.
This event is perceived as an important step in overcoming American superiority
in reusable rocket technologies. However, experts emphasize, that the landing itself is not the key, and the possibility of multiple use of the degree in subsequent launches.
The problem of single-use missile systems has been relevant since the 1960s. After the Space Shuttle program, the main efforts were directed to the reusability of the first stages of conventional rockets. SpaceX has successfully implemented this concept with the Falcon 9.
China is consistently developing reusable technologies. Landing on a barge was chosen for safety reasons. A successful test on the Changzheng-10B should become the basis for the spread of the technology to other missiles of the family, in particular on options for manned missions. Reusing the degree would demonstrate the competitiveness of China's space program and could affect the pace of lunar exploration.
Source: https://universemagazine.com