China advances reusable rocket recovery, lags US in relaunch capability

China has made progress in recovering rocket boosters, a key step toward reusable launch technology, but has not yet demonstrated the ability to relaunch them. The US, led by SpaceX, maintains a significant lead with over 600 missions flown using reusable boosters. This development signals China's strategic push to close the gap in space access, though the timeline for operational reuse remains uncertain.