China succeeded in recovering the reusable rocket used in the maiden launch of the Long March 10B on Friday.
The 70-metre (230-foot) tall, 5-metre wide medium-lift rocket lifted off from southern China’s Wenchang space launch site at 12.15pm.
The two-stage Long March 10B’s first stage is powered by seven YF-100K engines that burn kerosene and liquid oxygen. Photo: CCTV
Soon after launch, the first stage of the rocket returned vertically and was recovered via a sea-based net platform, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The two-stage Long March 10B’s first stage is powered by seven YF-100K engines that burn kerosene and liquid oxygen. The rocket can deliver up to 16 tonnes to low Earth orbit and is mainly designed for cargo missions.
In the final landing phase, the net-and-cable device absorbs the rocket’s remaining energy for a soft landing. Photo: CCTV
Nasa also aims to send US astronauts back to the moon by 2028 for the first time since the end of the Apollo missions.
