BEIJING, July 10 — The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has confirmed a successful recovery test of its Long March 10B rocket, a notable step in the development of the country’s next-generation launch vehicle. The rocket is developed by CASC, the state-owned enterprise founded in 1999 that serves as the primary contractor for China’s space program. The organisation employs over 170,000 people.
Design and manufacturing are led by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a CASC subsidiary based in Beijing that has been responsible for all Long March rockets since the first launch in 1970. The chief designer of the Long March 10 series is Li Hong, a senior engineer at CALT who previously worked on the Long March 5 rocket.
The YF-100K engines used on the Long March 10B are developed by the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology (AAPT), another CASC subsidiary. The successful recovery was overseen by the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, which manages launch operations for CASC. For all the noise around competing space programmes globally, the salient point here is the steady accumulation of capability by China’s aerospace industrial base, which has grown rapidly since the 1990s.
Organisational backbone
CASC’s structure is worth noting. The corporation was established in 1999 as part of a broader restructuring of China’s defence and aerospace industries. Its subsidiary CALT, headquartered in Beijing, has been the design authority for every Long March variant since the programme began in 1970.
That track record gives the Long March 10B a lineage stretching back more than five decades. Li Hong, the chief designer, brings experience from the Long March 5 programme, China’s heavy-lift rocket.
His appointment to lead the Long March 10 series suggests continuity of engineering approach between the two projects. The propulsion side falls to AAPT, which developed the YF-100K engines.
Operational control
The Xichang Satellite Launch Center managed the recovery operation. The centre is one of CASC’s primary launch sites. Its involvement in a recovery test rather than a launch underscores the shift in operational priorities toward reusability.
It would seem that CASC is methodically building the infrastructure for a reusable rocket programme, even if the Long March 10B has not yet flown a full orbital mission. The successful recovery test is a data point, not a declaration of completion.
What to watch next
The Long March 10 series is expected to support China’s crewed lunar missions, though CASC has not announced a specific timeline. For now, the recovery test adds to a growing body of evidence that China’s aerospace sector, built around CASC and its subsidiaries, is moving deliberately toward operational reusability. The next milestone will likely be a full flight test of the Long March 10B, which would demonstrate whether the recovery system works under actual launch conditions.
Sources
- China Successfully Tests Reusable Long March-10B – Universe Today
- Did Long March 10B Move China into the… | New Space Economy
