China successfully tested a reusable rocket booster recovery system on July 10, 2026, using a net attached to a sea platform to catch the Long March 10B rocket’s first stage after launch from Hainan [1, 2]. The Long March 10B lifted off at 12:15 p.m. local time and deployed a satellite to a preset orbit before its booster returned vertically to the offshore platform. About six minutes after separation, the booster was safely caught by the net, marking China as the second country after the US to develop reliable reusable rocket technology [1, 2, 3].

Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which uses deployable legs for landing, the Long March 10B booster instead employs four landing hooks to catch the net on the platform. Chen Muye, a CALT expert, said the net-based recovery "helps simplify the rocket's onboard structure, reduces vehicle mass and increases payload capacity. It is also highly adaptable to landing-point deviations, as coordinated net systems can effectively expand the capture window" [1]. The Long March 10B has a payload capacity to low Earth orbit of at least 16 metric tons [1].

The day after China’s test, Japan’s space agency JAXA conducted a successful test flight of its RV-X prototype reusable rocket from its Noshiro test site in Akita Prefecture on July 11, 2026 [4, 5, 6, 7, 3, 8, 9]. The RV-X reached an altitude of about 10 to 11 meters, hovered, moved horizontally around 16 meters, and landed safely after approximately 40 seconds of flight [4, 5, 6, 7, 3, 8, 9].

The 7.3-meter long, 1.8-meter diameter rocket is equipped with four landing legs and powered by an engine tested over 160 times for durability [3, 8, 9]. Takashi Ito, JAXA’s launch lead, said, "I feel we have put a great deal of time and effort into this, and now that the prototype has taken off and landed without problem, I must say I feel a great sense of relief." He expressed confidence that the test "obtained very useful data" [4].

JAXA aims to develop reusable rocket technology to cut launch costs and is collaborating with France and Germany on a joint reusable vehicle project called Callisto [3, 8, 9]. Japan’s current flagship H3 rocket remains expendable, and the RV-X test represents a step toward next-generation reusable rockets to enhance competitiveness [4, 5, 7, 8, 9].

A Honda subsidiary had previously conducted Japan’s first successful reusable rocket launch and landing in June 2025, ahead of JAXA’s July 2026 test [4, 5, 6, 7, 3, 8].

China’s July 10 Long March 10B test and Japan’s July 11 RV-X flight mark key recent milestones in East Asia’s push toward reusable rocket technology.