Long March 10-Yi Rocket Successful Maiden Flight, Tests World's First Marine Flexible Net Recovery Technology
Summary: On April 28, 2026, the Long March 10-Yi carrier rocket successfully completed its maiden flight from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province, simultaneously validating the world's first marine flexible net capture and recovery technology. Developed by the First Research Institute of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the two-stage liquid carrier rocket is designed for at least 10 reuses with a launch interval reducible to 72 hours. The success marks a substantial breakthrough in China's core technologies for low-cost, high-frequency access to space, removing cost barriers for large-scale constellation deployment.
Credit: CCTV News
Sources (original pages)
- Long March 10-Yi Maiden Flight Success, Commercial Space Sector at Inflection Point (Sina Finance)
- Long March 10-Yi Carrier Rocket Successfully Launched from Wenchang, Hainan on April 28 (Toutiao)
- Reusable Rocket Intensive Verification Window Opens, Commercial Space Industry Chain Enters Year of Scale Production (Caixin)
In late April 2026, China's commercial space sector entered an intensive reusable rocket verification window. In addition to the Long March 10-Yi, multiple rockets including LandSpace's Zhuque-3 also carried out recovery technology verifications in succession, while the national "Commercial Space Standard System (Version 1.0)" was also released during the same period.