China successfully recaptured the first stage of a rocket after a launch on Friday in a breakthrough for the country’s space programme, state media said.
The first stage of a Long March-10B rocket separated from the second stage after liftoff and returned to a platform in the sea, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
It was the first time China recovered the first stage of a rocket. America’s SpaceX has been doing so for several years to drive down launch costs by reusing the booster that helps lift the satellites or whatever the rocket is carrying into space.
The Long March rocket was launched from China’s Hainan Island, a popular beach destination off the country’s southern coast.
