Beijing Hits Rocket Reusability Milestone with Novel Catch System, Intensifying Space Race With U.S.

China took a historic stride in its race to match American space capabilities on July 10, when its state-backed aerospace program executed the country’s first successful controlled recovery of a reusable rocket booster. The milestone, featuring a globally unprecedented maritime catching system, narrows the technological gap with Western aerospace giants just weeks after Elon Musk’s SpaceX achieved a landmark two-trillion-dollar Nasdaq listing. The Long March 10B carrier rocket lifted off at 12:15 p.m. local time from the Hainan Commercial Aerospace Launch Site, successfully inserting its satellite payload into a predetermined orbit. Six minutes after stage separation, the rocket’s first-stage booster…