China Catches Orbital Booster in Net on First Try

China recovered the first stage of its Long March 10B rocket off Hainan on July 10, 2026, using a net attached to a floating platform during the vehicle's maiden flight. The method differs sharply from SpaceX's propulsive tail-first landings, trading guidance precision for structural simplicity. Bloomberg called it China's first successful sea landing of an orbital-class reusable booster. The milestone matters less than what comes next: repeat catches, rapid refurbishment, and turnaround times cheap enough to reshape launch pricing.