China completes 1st-ever rocket recovery from sea

The China Manned Space Agency announced Friday that it has successfully recovered the first-stage booster of the Long March 10 from the sea, marking the country's first maritime retrieval of a rocket stage and a significant step toward reusable space technology, according to state-run Xinhua News.

The rocket launched at 11.00 am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, with the booster separating soon after liftoff and descending in a controlled splashdown within a designated recovery zone.

Maritime crews later located and retrieved the hardware.

Built to support future crewed Moon missions as well as operations in near-Earth orbit, the Long March-10 features a reusable first-stage booster designed to cut costs and improve long-term launch efficiency by enabling refurbishment for future flights.