--- title: "China Is Catching Up With SpaceX Fast, Landing First Reusable Rocket Booster on Offshore Platform" description: "Footage shared by Chinese media shows a rocket being recovered on an offshore barge, indicating the country is catching up with SpaceX fast." date: "2026-07-10" modified: "2026-07-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/space/china-catching-up-spacex-reusable-rocket" categories: - "Falcon" - "Off-World" - "Space" - "SpaceX" --- # China Is Catching Up With SpaceX Fast, Landing First Reusable Rocket Booster on Offshore Platform ![A screenshot of a rocket booster performing a successful recovery in China.]() *CCTV / Futurism / Shutterstock* SpaceX has radically reduced the cost of reaching space thanks to its reusable rockets, a revolutionary capability that has greatly set it apart from its competitors. But its dominance in the domain is seriously being challenged by China. Footage [shared by the Chinese state-run *CCTV*]() shows a Long March 10B rocket booster being caught by an offshore recovery platform. Engineers can be heard cheering on the slowly descending rocket as it confidently sets down. https://youtu.be/Zt1V9UWhuKk As [*Engadget* reports](), that makes China only the second country to have pulled off such a feat, following the United States — a "historic breakthrough" that could have major implications not just for SpaceX, but for the space industry as a whole. The rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a subsidiary of the state-owned Chinese space program contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The rocket has a payload capacity of 16 tons to low-Earth orbit, not far off from SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9, which can carry 22 tons. However, unlike the Falcon 9, which lands autonomously with the help of four deployable landing legs, CALT's recovery platform picks the descending rocket out of the air with "[landing hooks]()." Previous attempts have resulted in descending rockets missing the launch pad. Chinese competitor LandSpace is trying an even more SpaceX-like approach using a leg system. In December, the company [successfully sent]() its Zhuque-3 rocket into orbit, but it ended up [blowing up in a fireball]() while trying to land. CALT is envisioning it as a new platform to launch Starlink-like internet broadband satellites and other larger commercial satellites. By reusing the first stage, the company is hoping to dramatically reduce launch costs, much like SpaceX. The Elon Musk-led company first successfully landed a Falcon 9 rocket following orbital flight in December 2015. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin [became the second company to have pulled off such a feat]() in November, with its New Glenn booster gently touching back down in November, just under a decade later. While CALT's latest feat is undoubtedly a major sign of progress, China has its work cut out to reach SpaceX's unparalleled launch cadence. The rocket company came close to [launching a rocket every other day]() in 2025, completing an astonishing 165 orbital flights — almost twice as many as China's entire space program. **More on China's space program:** [*New Report Finds That China’s Space Program Is Rapidly Outstripping NASA*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()