Our country has completed the first manned spacecraft return capsule maritime search and recovery mission.

According to the China Manned Space Agency, on February 11, 2026, Beijing time, during the low-altitude demonstration verification of the Long March 10 launch vehicle system and the maximum dynamic pressure escape flight test of the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft system, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft successfully performed maximum dynamic pressure escape and safely splashed down at sea. At 12:20 on the 11th, the sea rescue team completed the search and recovery of the return capsule. This is China’s first sea-based crewed spacecraft search and recovery mission, accumulating important experience for subsequent space station applications and development missions as well as crewed lunar landing missions. It is reported that the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft participating in this test is mainly used for China’s crewed lunar exploration missions, while also supporting low Earth orbit space station operations. The spacecraft’s return capsule is capable of multiple reuse. (CCTV News)