Students from Hong Kong and Macau expressed their excitement at witnessing a landmark moment in China's space exploration efforts in Hainan's Wenchang city.

"This represents a major breakthrough for China in reusable rocket technology, and I feel privileged to have witnessed this historic moment in person," said Ma Rong, a student from Macau University of Science and Technology, after observing the rocket launch up close on the 10th.

At 12:15 p.m. on July 10, the Long March 10B carrier rocket lifted off from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The rocket successfully delivered its satellite payload into the planned orbit. Approximately six minutes after the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first-stage booster executed a vertical return and was successfully recovered on a maritime platform.

This event marked China's first successful controlled recovery of a launch vehicle's first stage and, simultaneously, the world's first net-based recovery of a rocket booster.

On that day, 50 students from Hong Kong and Macau participating in the 2026 Hainan Free Trade Port "Riding the Wave" Summer Internship Program for university students were present to collectively witness the rocket's ascent.

"This was my first time at an actual launch site. The tremendous roar and the towering flames are something you simply cannot experience through a screen," said Lin Mingzhou, a student from the City University of Macau. He added that the complete success of this inaugural launch and recovery mission "is not only a reflection of the nation's technological progress but also a symbol of its growing comprehensive strength."

In recent years, the Wenchang International Aerospace City has been rapidly advancing its industrial layout across the "three chains": rockets, satellites, and data. It continues to attract commercial aerospace companies, scientific innovation platforms, and high-end talent, fostering a comprehensive industrial ecosystem that integrates rocket launches, satellite manufacturing, data applications, and aerospace-themed culture and tourism.

From Lin Mingzhou's perspective, collaboration in aerospace science and innovation between Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macau holds strong complementary potential. Wenchang possesses core advantages such as the commercial launch site, industrial landing platforms, and the institutional innovations of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Macau offer international exchange platforms, mature scientific innovation systems, cross-border financial services, and global communication channels. This creates vast opportunities for synergy among the three parties in areas like aerospace technology commercialization, international academic exchange, and global aerospace industry cooperation.

"The Wenchang International Aerospace City has gathered a large number of upstream and downstream enterprises in rockets, satellites, and data, creating a vibrant industrial atmosphere. If given the opportunity, I would like to stay and contribute my professional expertise," said Ma Rong. She noted that this visit to Wenchang allowed her to personally feel the momentum of scientific and technological innovation within the Hainan Free Trade Port, and she looks forward to applying her knowledge in Hainan in the future.