Just over a month after China successfully recovered its first orbital-class rocket booster, another launch operator has followed suit. This latest achievement marks a significant step forward in China's growing space capabilities.

The journey to reusable rockets is proving more rapid than initially thought. A decade ago, only SpaceX managed this feat with the Falcon 9. Since then, SpaceX has expanded its fleet with Starship and Super Heavy boosters, while Blue Origin joined the club in subsequent years. Speculation now turns towards a third American company achieving the same by 2027.

Meanwhile, several US companies are also working on reusable rockets, including Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, Relativity Space and Firefly Aerospace, often partnering with Northrop Grumman. In China, numerous launch companies operate under CASC or as privately funded entities. These firms began attempts to catch their rocket boosters last December.

The first successful landing of a Chinese booster came on July 10th when the Long March 10B from CASC's division achieved this feat using a net recovery mechanism in the South China Sea. Since then, LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 has also managed to make a picture-perfect landing in northwestern China.

As these companies continue their efforts, the question remains: which company will be the first to touch down on UK soil?