Abstract: According to stastics of spacecrafts launched, the number of returnable spacecrafts is more than 1/3 of the total of spacecrafts.The returnable spacecrafts play a role of pioneer and leading in development and utilization of space resources and make great contribution to manned space flight and human progress. The paper analyses in detail three phases of development of return technology and returnable spacecraft, which are preliminary development phase, application phase and nondamaged fixed-point return phase, and points out that it is the nondamaged fixed-point landing return that will become the main development approach in a quite long period in future.

Key words: Recoverable satellite, Return technology, Development