The national team's efforts are simply different! The Long March 10 rocket has exceeded SpaceX, and after watching it, Musk might be speechless.
On February 11, the national team's 5-meter class launch vehicle made a big move — the first test flight of the Long March 10A successfully achieved the "synchronized controlled safe splashdown" of the crew return capsule and the first stage of the rocket. In simple terms, the rocket and spacecraft landed in the designated sea area as if they had agreed beforehand. At that moment, the scene was captured by nearby ships: the rocket body hovered vertically and then landed accurately. Next time, it will be "caught" directly with a net.
This is the first time globally that a crew return capsule and the first stage of a rocket have "returned home together." Previously, either the spacecraft or the rocket was recovered, but this time we caught both at once, demonstrating the remarkable control precision. Additionally, the test simulated the most dangerous phase of the rocket flight — the maximum dynamic pressure escape. What does this mean? Simply put, it means deliberately testing the emergency rescue capability at the point of maximum air resistance, which is like adding a "double insurance" for the astronauts. Meanwhile, the rocket's multiple ignitions at high altitude, adaptation to complex force and thermal environments, and high-precision navigation control during its return were all verified successfully.
The most notable feature is the "net recovery" plan. This is not following SpaceX's "vertical landing," but rather a unique Chinese innovation: the recovery ship "Linghangzhe" laid out an ultra-high-strength interception net, and the rocket directly "fell into the net." Compared to SpaceX rockets that need to precisely land back on the launch pad, our plan allows an error margin of ±10 meters, significantly increasing the tolerance space. Moreover, the rocket doesn't need heavy landing legs, which can reduce its weight — isn't it better to use the saved weight to carry more scientific instruments or supplies into space?
Although SpaceX's vertical recovery is impressive, it requires extremely high engine thrust regulation and navigation control, and the development risks and costs also rise accordingly. Our net-based recovery is more like "using softness to overcome hardness": by setting up nets at sea to reduce the strict requirements for the rocket's landing accuracy, and using relatively mature technology to achieve reliable recovery. This splashdown point was about 365 kilometers away from the launch site, completely matching the previously designated no-sailing zone. When the rocket body splashed down, its attitude remained stable, indicating that the entire guidance and control system has been validated.
In the long term, this test is a key step toward China's "low-cost space transportation." Recovering the first stage of the rocket is the core to reducing launch costs, and the net-based solution provides a more stable path for China to rapidly build a reusable rocket system. In the future, the research team will optimize the full-process recovery based on this data, preparing for future full-profile flights and routine maritime recovery.
It can be said that China's aerospace industry is taking a path of "differentiated transcendence." Instead of blindly following, it chooses a scheme that is more suitable for the current stage based on its own technological accumulation and practical engineering spirit. Although the net-based recovery may not be as visually striking as vertical landing, it is more stable, faster, and more efficient, and it can also achieve the goal of "bringing the rocket home."
While Musk's Starship is still going through the cycle of "explosion — improvement — retesting," China's aerospace industry has demonstrated another possibility with a near-perfect test: you don't have to pursue extreme stunts, and through systematic innovation and engineering stability, you can still achieve a leap forward. This is the style of the national aerospace team — not making a noise, but gradually solving difficult problems; not hyping, but making people rethink what is the better solution with results. After watching it, Dao Ge was very excited, so why haven't you liked it yet? Gagaga.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856808705929216/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.