China pulled off a feat only one other country had managed, recovering the first stage of an orbital-class rocket booster, and it did so without copying SpaceX's playbook.

The debut of the Long March-10B on Friday via a ship-based sea recovery net system as opposed to landing legs, which are employed by SpaceX, reignited the online discussion about who leads the reusable rocket race.

How China's net capture system........

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