China successfully conducted a dual-purpose low-altitude flight test Wednesday at 03:00 UTC (Feb. 11), marking a major leap in its manned lunar exploration program. The test, carried out at the newly built Launch Complex 301 of the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, involved a prototype Long March-10A reusable booster and an uncrewed Mengzhou ("Dream Vessel") crewed spacecraft.

The mission achieved two critical milestones in a single flight: a maximum dynamic pressure (Max-Q) abort test for the Mengzhou capsule and a controlled vertical landing of the Long March-10A’s first stage designed to be reusable, like that of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

The liftoff of the Long March-10A was powered by seven YF-100K kerosene-fueled engines. After about one minute of ascent, the rocket reached Max-Q—when aerodynamic forces are at their peak. At this critical moment, the Mengzhou spacecraft’s integrated launch escape system activated, with its escape tower igniting to pull the return capsule away from the booster. The capsule then deployed three large parachutes (totaling over 2,400 m²) to decelerate and safely splash down in the South China Sea, confirming its ability to ensure crew safety during an in-flight emergency.

Meanwhile, the Long March-10A booster continued its flight, performed a high-altitude engine restart for trajectory adjustment, followed by a hover ignition just before landing. It executed a propulsive splashdown in the ocean near a recovery vessel equipped with a wire net system, marking China’s first successful maritime recovery of a reusable rocket stage. This achievement validates key technologies for reusability, including multiple engine restarts, precise navigation, and high-precision landing control.

The Long March-10 is still in development, and Wednesday's flight did not come close to reaching orbit. But the rocket's splashdown success was still a major milestone on the road to recovery and reuse. It is a key piece of China's moon plans as well: a new heavy lifter that will launch the nation's astronauts to the lunar planet. China has also made progress recently with its crewed lunar lander, a vehicle named Lanyue.

The Long March-10A is a single-core, reusable variant for low Earth orbit missions, while the full three-core Long March-10 will power heavy-lift missions to the Moon. This test confirms the maturity of both systems and positions China as a direct competitor to NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA aims to send astronauts to the moon in 2028 on the Artemis 3 mission, which will use a modified version of SpaceX's Starship vehicle as its lander. Artemis 3 will follow Artemis 2, a crewed trip around the moon that could launch as soon as next month, and will employ NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule.

The Mengzhou capsule, designed to carry up to seven astronauts to low Earth orbit or three on lunar missions, is intended to replace the Shenzhou spacecraft and will serve as the primary crew transport for China’s 2030 manned lunar landing goal.

Wednesday's test was a first for China in multiple aspects: the first low-altitude flight of the Long March-10 rocket, the first in-flight Max-Q abort test for a crewed spacecraft, and the first sea-based recovery of both a crewed spacecraft return capsule and a rocket first stage.

Ori Solomon, a 55-year-old Israeli citizen residing in the U.S. on a work visa, was arrested in connection with a suspected illegal biological laboratory discovered in a Las Vegas home on Saturday, January 31, 2026. The raid, conducted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI, uncovered refrigerators and vials containing unknown liquids, a centrifuge, a biosafety hood, and over 1,000 samples sent to the National Bioforensic Analysis Center in Maryland for testing.

Authorities also found gallon-sized containers with red-brown unknown liquids and equipment consistent with bio-laboratory operations. Court documents said federal agents seized four handguns and two rifles from the residence. Solomon, who has passports from France and Israel, is in the country on a work visa and is not allowed to possess any guns.

Multiple individuals, including house cleaners and Airbnb renters, reported becoming "deathly ill" after entering the garage, experiencing symptoms like severe fatigue, breathing issues, and inability to get out of bed. One person required hospitalization for respiratory issues. The home, located on Sugar Springs Drive, was reportedly managed by Solomon and operated as an Airbnb.

Court documents said authorities investigated the home after a person reported the garage remained locked all the time and smelled “like a hospital — not like a clean hospital but more of a foul, stale, stagnant air smell.”

Two people who entered the home’s garage became “deathly ill” and were bedridden for days, the filing said. The tipster said several people had gotten sick after visiting the residence.

The home in the Vegas suburbs may be linked to the Chinese Communist Party, authorities said.

Clark County records show the residence is associated with a limited liability company that operated a similar, illegal biolab in California that federal agents shut down three years ago.

Solomon, was charged with discharging hazardous waste and illegal possession of firearms, including a Glock handgun and an Israeli-made IWI Tabor X95 rifle. Despite these charges, he was released on personal recognizance bond on February 6, 2026**, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah. He is required to surrender his passports, remain within the Continental U.S., and notify the court if he leaves Clark County. Prosecutors did not seek pretrial detention, and no federal charges were filed related to the biological lab materials.

The case is linked to Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national and fugitive from Canada, who was previously arrested in 2023 for operating an illegal biolab in Reedley, California. That lab was found to contain pathogen-labeled containers marked with HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, dengue fever, and Ebola, along with 1,000 genetically modified mice used in experiments. Zhu is currently in federal custody and faces charges related to fraud, conspiracy, and misbranding medical devices.

Despite Zhu’s attorney stating he is not involved in the Las Vegas lab, records show Zhu is the registered agent of the LLC that owns the Las Vegas property, and phone logs reveal he contacted Solomon 467 times in January 2026. Authorities believe Solomon was managing Zhu’s properties and transferring funds. The FBI has since served a new search warrant at Zhu’s Reedley home, continuing the investigation into potential nationwide lab networks.

The discovery has raised concerns about federal oversight and inter-agency coordination, with officials from Reedley, California, criticizing the lack of response when they tried to warn federal agencies about the risks of similar labs. The investigation remains ongoing.

The case has drawn comparisons to a similar 2023 incident in Reedley, California, where Jia Bei Zhu (also known as David He), a Chinese national, was arrested and charged with operating a secret lab containing pathogens like HIV, hepatitis, and SARS-CoV-2.

Zhu is currently in federal custody and faces trial in April 2026. Investigators believe Solomon managed multiple properties tied to Zhu and Wang Zhao Yan, who is reportedly in China and monitoring the Las Vegas property via surveillance cameras. Solomon is also linked to the same LLC name used in the California case.

Solomon's case has sparked broader criticism regarding the treatment of Israeli nationals in U.S. legal proceedings, particularly in light of the 2025 release of Tom Artion Alexandrovich, another Israeli cybersecurity official arrested in Las Vegas on child exploitation charges, who was released on a $10,000 bond and later returned to Israel despite unclear legal status.

While Solomon’s case remains under investigation, the release of high-profile Israeli suspects without formal charges has fueled debate over U.S. judicial transparency and foreign diplomatic influence. No official connection has been proven between the California and Las Vegas labs, though officials note the materials are “consistent in appearance.” The full scope of Solomon’s involvement—and the potential implications of the biolab—remains under scrutiny.