Re: Space Thread
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2026 4:42 pm
Unique Recovery System: Unlike the landing legs used by SpaceX or Blue Origin, the Long March 10B utilizes a barge equipped with a moving cable system to snare the booster in mid-air and lower it to the deck (0:18-0:46).
Rocket Specifications: The Long March 10B is slightly smaller than a Falcon 9, featuring seven YF100K engines using kerosene and liquid oxygen on the first stage, and a methane-fueled YF2019 engine on the upper stage (1:01-1:14).
Technical Observations: The author notes a mysterious black smoke during descent, likely caused by a minor leak of hydraulic fluid burning in the interstage, rather than a failure of the propellant system (7:13-8:27).
Chinese Aerospace Strategy: China is pursuing a diversified approach to rocket recovery, with multiple groups testing different designs simultaneously, which contrasts with SpaceX's more iterative approach (9:36-9:55).
The video concludes by noting that while this is a successful first step, China will likely continue to refine the process and the booster is expected to be refurbished for a future flight (8:42).
Rocket Specifications: The Long March 10B is slightly smaller than a Falcon 9, featuring seven YF100K engines using kerosene and liquid oxygen on the first stage, and a methane-fueled YF2019 engine on the upper stage (1:01-1:14).
Technical Observations: The author notes a mysterious black smoke during descent, likely caused by a minor leak of hydraulic fluid burning in the interstage, rather than a failure of the propellant system (7:13-8:27).
Chinese Aerospace Strategy: China is pursuing a diversified approach to rocket recovery, with multiple groups testing different designs simultaneously, which contrasts with SpaceX's more iterative approach (9:36-9:55).
The video concludes by noting that while this is a successful first step, China will likely continue to refine the process and the booster is expected to be refurbished for a future flight (8:42).