China achieves first-ever controlled rocket recovery in Long March-10B maiden flight

China has joined the small group of space powers that can now recover an orbital-class booster rocket.

At 12:15 pm Beijing time, the Long March 10B carrier rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site, successfully placing its satellite payload into the designated orbit and completing its maiden flight mission.

The 70-metre (230-foot) tall, 5-metre wide medium-lift rocket lifted off from southern China’s Wenchang space launch site at 12.15pm.

Around six minutes after separating from the rocket's upper stage, its booster returned to Earth vertically and was recovered on a floating platform.