Bring an orbital booster into a moving net.

Explore the geometry behind the sea-based net-and-cable recovery concept described for Long March 10B, and see why moving the capture zone changes the landing problem.

Open the envelope Compare methods

The target can move before the booster arrives.

A sea platform does not make descent uncertainty disappear. It changes which side of the equation can adapt: the ship can reposition the capture zone, the net provides lateral tolerance, and the cables spread the stop over distance.

This lab uses exploratory assumptions only. It does not represent Long March 10B telemetry, engineering limits, or a mission prediction.

Shape the capture envelope.

Change one assumption at a time. The diagram and all five outputs recalculate locally in your browser.

Corrected lateral error16.0 m

Booster descent pathMovable recovery platform

Exploratory assumptions

Net width100 mTotal horizontal capture width Lateral uncertainty28 mOffset before ship correction Ship correction12 mRecovery-zone repositioning Descent speed at contact18 m/sScenario input, not reported telemetry Cable stroke18 mDistance over which cables arrest motion

Capture margin34.0 m

Remaining half-width after corrected lateral error.

width / 2 - corrected error

Margin ratio68%

A broad geometric margin in this scenario.

margin / half-width

Average arrest load0.92 g

2.00 s arrest time under constant deceleration.

v² / (2 × stroke × g)

Three recovery architectures. Three different targets.

Sea net + cables

Move the zone

A ship can reposition under a projected descent corridor. Net width absorbs remaining lateral offset; cables exchange a sudden stop for a longer arrest distance.

Propulsive landing

Steer to a deck

The booster uses propulsion and guidance to reduce velocity and converge on a landing surface. The vehicle carries the landing system and must arrive upright.

Tower catch

Meet fixed arms

The vehicle returns to a fixed ground structure with a narrow interception geometry, shifting landing hardware away from the booster and onto the tower.

Correction reduces offset.

The model subtracts ship correction from lateral uncertainty, never below zero. This isolates the adaptability claim without pretending sea state, winds, navigation, or control authority are solved.

Net width creates tolerance.

Half the net width is the available distance from centerline to edge. The corrected offset consumes that allowance; what remains is capture margin.

Cable stroke trades distance for load.

For a chosen contact speed, a longer arrest stroke lowers average constant deceleration. Real systems face dynamic loads and structural limits beyond this teaching model.