China Narrows the Gap in Reusable Rocket Technology
中国正在追赶马斯克的可重复使用火箭技术
China has taken a major step toward reusable spaceflight after the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) successfully launched a Long March orbital rocket and recovered its booster on a seagoing vessel. The achievement makes China the second country to demonstrate orbital booster recovery, bringing it closer to matching the technology that has made SpaceX the global leader in commercial launches.
中国航天科技集团有限公司（CASC）近日取得重大突破，成功发射一枚长征系列轨道火箭，并在海上回收船上成功回收助推器。这使中国成为全球第二个完成轨道级火箭助推器回收的国家，也意味着中国正逐步追赶SpaceX在可重复使用火箭领域建立的领先优势。
CASC said it plans to reuse the recovered booster before the end of 2026. The rocket is designed to carry a payload comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, and successful reuse could significantly reduce launch costs while increasing launch frequency.
CASC表示，计划在2026年底前再次使用这枚回收的助推器。该火箭的运载能力与SpaceX的猎鹰9号（Falcon 9）相近，一旦实现重复使用，将大幅降低发射成本，并提升发射频率。
Unlike SpaceX, which lands Falcon 9 boosters vertically on floating drone ships using deployable landing legs, China uses a different recovery method. The descending booster is captured by a large net mounted on a recovery ship. Although the hardware differs, the challenge remains similar: the booster must perform a precisely controlled descent using advanced guidance systems, reliable sensors, and engines capable of restarting after reaching space and surviving atmospheric reentry.
与SpaceX采用可展开着陆腿垂直降落到海上无人回收平台不同，中国采用了另一种方案：利用回收船上的大型网架捕获返回的助推器。虽然回收方式不同，但技术难度同样很高，需要先进的制导软件、精密传感器，以及能够多次点火、并承受再入大气层高温的发动机。
SpaceX has built its leadership on reusable Falcon 9 rockets, enabling record numbers of launches each year. Low-cost access to space supports the company’s Starlink satellite network as well as missions for NASA and the U.S. Space Force.
SpaceX凭借猎鹰9号的重复使用能力，持续刷新年度发射纪录，为Starlink（星链）卫星网络，以及NASA和美国太空军任务提供低成本、高频率的发射服务。
Space experts believe China’s progress could reshape the global launch industry. Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation described the demonstration as a “huge game changer,” noting that reusable rockets could dramatically lower China’s launch costs. This would allow China to offer inexpensive launch services to partner countries, strengthening its international influence.
航天专家认为，中国此次突破可能改变全球航天产业格局。安全世界基金会（Secure World Foundation）的维多利亚·萨姆森表示，这是一项“具有重大意义的突破”。一旦中国掌握成熟的火箭重复使用技术，其发射成本将显著下降，并可为友好国家提供低价发射服务，进一步扩大国际影响力。
