BEIJING, July 10 — China’s state-owned space contractor has logged another milestone, but the economic calculus behind the Long March rocket family is what keeps supply-chain watchers in Central Asia paying attention. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, or CASC, successfully recovered the first stage of its Long March 10B rocket following a test launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island. The recovery was overseen by the Wenchang facility, which opened in 2014 as China’s only coastal launch site.
CASC president Zhang Zhongyang publicly praised the team after the successful recovery.
State-owned giant with a commercial footprint
CASC is the prime contractor for China’s space program, founded in 1999 from the former Ministry of Aerospace Industry. The corporation employs over 170,000 people and is headquartered in Beijing. Its Long March rocket family has conducted over 500 launches since 1970.
The Long March 10 series is managed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, or CALT, a CASC subsidiary also based in Beijing. The chief designer of the Long March 10B is Li Dong, a senior engineer at CALT.
The project is part of China’s broader space ambitions, including a planned crewed lunar landing by 2030, as stated by the China National Space Administration. For markets watching the space sector, the Long March 10B’s reusability matters. Reusable first-stage technology directly affects launch costs, and lower costs shift competitive dynamics in the satellite-launch market.
Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome, operated by Russia, has long served as a regional hub for commercial launches. CASC’s progress in reusable rocketry could alter pricing structures that Central Asian energy and mining firms pay to put communications and Earth-observation satellites into orbit.
Wenchang’s coastal advantage
The Wenchang site, located on the tropical island of Hainan, offers logistical advantages over inland launch facilities. Its coastal location allows for sea-based transport of large rocket stages, which is cheaper than rail or road transport through mountainous terrain. The Long March 10 series is designed for crewed missions and heavy payloads, positioning it as a competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy in the international launch market.
The successful recovery of the first stage is a technical achievement, but the company said it does not yet have a timeline for operational reuse of the Long March 10B. Officials noted that further testing is required before the rocket enters regular service.
Looking ahead, the China National Space Administration’s 2030 lunar landing target will drive continued investment in the Long March 10 series. For resource-focused markets in Central Asia, the question is whether CASC can translate this technical progress into commercially viable launch prices that undercut existing providers.
