China’s space program has moved decisively toward reusability with the Long March 10B, a heavy-lift rocket designed to recover and refly its first stage up to times. The two-stage vehicle, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, marks a departure from the expendable boosters that have long defined the country’s launch capabilities, including the Long March 2F used for astronaut missions to the Tiangong space station and the Long March 5 for heavy payloads.
A Rocket Built for Reuse
The Long March 10B stands 60 meters tall with a diameter of five meters, giving it a substantial footprint on the launch pad. Its first stage is the powerhouse, fitted with seven YF-100K engines that each generate 1,200 kilonewtons of thrust while burning a mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen. Together, these engines propel the rocket’s launch mass of approximately 500 metric tons off the ground.
The second stage employs a different fuel architecture: two YF-75D engines that burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. In terms of payload capacity, the Long March 10B can deliver 27 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) and 14 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit.
The Long March 10 family, of which the 10B is a medium-lift variant, includes a standard three-stage super heavy-lift version with a core and two boosters. All variants share a common five-meter-wide stage driven by seven kerosene-fueled engines. The 10A and 10B versions omit the boosters and third stage, and their first stages are specifically engineered for recovery and reuse via vertical landing on a floating platform. A crewed variant, the Long March 10A, is scheduled to carry the Mengzhou spacecraft on its maiden orbital flight in late 2026.
Landing System and Avionics
Recovering the first stage requires a multi-step sequence. Four grid fins provide aerodynamic control during the descent through the atmosphere. A parachute then deploys to begin deceleration.
For the final touchdown phase, four landing legs swing outward while throttleable engines reduce speed for a gentle landing. The rocket carries a new avionics system that relies on artificial intelligence-based guidance to autonomously handle the landing process.
The shift from single-use boosters to recoverable ones is central to lowering the cost of access to space. This cost-conscious approach makes frequent missions to the Tiangong space station and future lunar operations more economically viable. China’s broader ambition includes a crewed lunar landing by 2030, a goal for which the Long March 10 family is intended to play a central role.
Progress and Milestones
The Long March 10 program was first publicly introduced at an air show in 2018. By early 2026, a first-stage booster had performed a controlled splashdown near its landing platform in the South China Sea. Later that same year, the Long March 10B achieved orbit and successfully landed its first stage on a platform.
These demonstrations advance the country’s reusable rocket technology beyond the test phase that had previously limited its ambitions. The Long March 10B represents the cost-conscious side of China’s space ambitions.
With its reusable first stage, it is expected to handle commercial launches as well as support crewed missions to the Tiangong space station and lunar orbit. The transition from expendable boosters to recoverable ones marks a change in how China approaches spaceflight, prioritizing affordability alongside capability. As the Long March 10 family matures, it will likely underpin the next phase of human spaceflight for the program.
Sources
- Friends of NASA: China Long March 10B Reusable Rocket Booster…
- Rocket Report: Starship V3 test-fired; ESA's tentative… – Ars Technica
