China's Long March 10B Attempts Maiden Launch and Sea-Based Recovery
CASC has opened the maiden launch window for the reusable Long March 10B heavy-lift rocket on July 10, targeting China's first at-sea first-stage recovery from the Wenchang Space Launch Site.
Key Takeaways
CASC opened the maiden launch window for the reusable Long March 10B on July 10, 2026, from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, with backup windows daily through July 13 (0500-0900 UTC).
The two-stage kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket is a shortened cargo variant of the crewed Long March 10A, lifting at least 16 tonnes to 200 km LEO in reusable mode, 18 tonnes expended, and 11 tonnes to a 900 km, 50-degree orbit.
The mission targets China's first at-sea first-stage recovery, using a wire recovery apparatus mounted on a vessel rather than SpaceX-style vertical propulsive landing.
Long March 10B is expected to serve Guowang and Qianfan megaconstellation launches and cargo missions supporting China's planned crewed lunar architecture.
The debut comes as SpaceX pushes Falcon 9 reuse to a record 36th flight, highlighting Beijing's race to close the LEO launch gap with US operators.
Kaan Tınmaz
China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) opened the debut launch window for its two-stage reusable Long March 10B rocket on July 10, 2026, marking a major milestone in the country's next-generation heavy-lift program and its first attempt at first-stage sea recovery.
An 18-tonne reusable workhorse for LEO
The kerosene-liquid oxygen Long March 10B is a shortened cargo variant of the Long March 10A crew launcher, engineered to loft at least 16 tonnes to a 200 km low Earth orbit in reusable mode and up to 18 tonnes when expended. To a 900 km, 50-degree inclined orbit it will carry at least 11 tonnes. The rocket's first stage is designed for sea-based recovery using a "wire recovery apparatus" mounted on a recovery vessel, giving China its first partially reusable heavy-lift launcher.
Launch window and recovery attempt
The maiden window opens between 01:00 and 05:00 Eastern (0500–0900 UTC) on July 10, with backup windows running daily through July 13 from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. CASC is targeting the wire-based sea recovery on this first attempt — a significantly less mature approach than SpaceX's Falcon 9 vertical propulsive landings but potentially cheaper for high-cadence LEO operations if it works.
Part of China's crewed lunar and megaconstellation buildout
Long March 10B forms the workhorse tier of CASC's next-generation heavy-lift family alongside the fully crewed Long March 10A, and is expected to support Guowang and Qianfan megaconstellation launches as well as cargo missions to the planned Chinese lunar architecture. The debut lands as SpaceX pushes Falcon 9 reuse to a record 36th flight and as Beijing races to close the LEO launch gap with US operators.
Reporting based on coverage from SpaceNews, NASASpaceflight, China in Space, and Rocket Launch Live.
What is the Long March 10B and how much can it lift?
The Long March 10B is a two-stage, partially reusable kerosene-liquid oxygen heavy-lift rocket from CASC, a shortened cargo variant of the crewed Long March 10A. It can lift at least 16 tonnes to a 200 km low Earth orbit in reusable mode, up to 18 tonnes expended, and at least 11 tonnes to a 900 km, 50-degree inclined orbit.
When and where is the maiden launch taking place?
The maiden launch window opened July 10, 2026, between 01:00 and 05:00 Eastern (0500-0900 UTC) from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site at Wenchang, with backup windows running daily through July 13.
How does the Long March 10B's recovery method differ from SpaceX's Falcon 9?
Instead of a vertical propulsive landing like Falcon 9, the Long March 10B first stage is designed for sea-based recovery using a wire recovery apparatus mounted on a recovery vessel. It's a less mature approach but could be cheaper for high-cadence LEO operations if successful.
What missions will the Long March 10B support?
It's expected to launch satellites for the Guowang and Qianfan megaconstellations and fly cargo missions supporting China's planned crewed lunar architecture, serving as the workhorse tier of CASC's next-generation heavy-lift family.
