china space program

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After a Billion Kilometres, China's Asteroid Hunter Arrives
18 days ago
- China's Tianwen-2 mission successfully rendezvoused with near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa after a 400-day chase covering ~1 billion km.
- The spacecraft launched in May 2025, performed trajectory adjustments, and closed to within ~20 km, beginning scientific exploration.
- Ground observations initially had ~100 km positional uncertainty; Tianwen-2 used onboard imaging to refine this to ~1 km accuracy.
- The mission will study the asteroid's surface, composition, and subsurface, aiming to collect and return a sample to Earth.
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China takes a page from SpaceX and recaptures first stage of rocket to reuse it
23 days ago
- China successfully recaptured the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket for the first time, landing it on a sea platform, marking a breakthrough in its space program.
- SpaceX and Blue Origin have been reusing rocket boosters since 2015 to reduce costs, with SpaceX achieving over 600 landings and setting a record with a 36th reuse of a booster.
- SpaceX is developing mechanical arms to catch returning Starships, while Blue Origin lands boosters in Texas and on floating platforms off Florida.
- Japan plans a launch and landing attempt this weekend, joining the trend of rocket recycling initiated by private U.S. companies and now China.
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China lands reusable rocket for first time, state media says
23 days ago
- China successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time, marking a major breakthrough in its space program.
- The Long March 10B rocket launched from Hainan, with its booster returning vertically to a floating platform about six minutes after separation.
- Reusable rockets can significantly lower costs for satellite launches and space exploration by recovering the valuable booster segments.
- China's achievement positions it to challenge U.S. dominance in reusable rocket technology, following successes by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
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China recovers reusable rocket used in the maiden launch of Long March 10B
23 days ago
- China recovered the reusable first stage of the Long March 10B rocket after its maiden launch.
- The rocket, measuring 70 meters tall, launched from Wenchang and delivered its payload to low Earth orbit.
- The first stage returned vertically and was recovered using a sea-based net platform.
- The Long March 10B can carry up to 16 tonnes to low Earth orbit and is designed for cargo missions.
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china space program

After a Billion Kilometres, China's Asteroid Hunter Arrives

China takes a page from SpaceX and recaptures first stage of rocket to reuse it

China lands reusable rocket for first time, state media says

China recovers reusable rocket used in the maiden launch of Long March 10B