BEIJING: China successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time on Friday (Jul 10), according to its space agency, marking a major step in its space ambitions and in reducing launch costs.

The Asian giant may now be in a position to challenge US dominance in reusable rockets, which until now has been led by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin.

A Long March-10B rocket lifted off at 12:15pm from its launch site on Hainan in the country's south before placing a satellite into orbit, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The first stage of the rocket - the lower part that provides the initial thrust needed to lift the launcher off the ground - was then recovered "via a net-capture system on a seaborne platform", the agency said.

China's state broadcaster CCTV aired aerial footage showing the launcher descending before gently landing on the platform.

"This mission marks China's first successful controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage, as well as the world's first at-sea net-based recovery of a rocket," the CNSA said. 

It hailed "a major breakthrough in Chinese reusable rocket technology".

Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the Long March-10B does not use landing legs.

"The net-based recovery system offers unique advantages," Chen Muye, a technical expert at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, was quoted as saying in the Chinese newspaper Global Times.

"Compared with current mainstream recovery solutions, net-based recovery is more adaptable to the landing requirements of rockets."

Most rockets are designed for single use, with their stages falling into the sea, burning up in the atmosphere or sometimes remaining in orbit as debris. The first stage is considered the most expensive component.

"Net-based recovery helps simplify the rocket's onboard structure," Chen said, adding that since it does not need to be equipped with landing legs its weight can also be reduced.

Chen noted the reduced weight could allow for increased "payload capacity and operational efficiency".

Reusing part of the rocket helps lower the cost of launching satellites or spacecraft. The Long March-10 series of rockets is intended in particular for China's future crewed missions to the Moon.