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In a strategic move, China has announced that it will launch six reusable rockets throughout 2024. The initiative is aimed directly at the prominence of Elon Musk's SpaceX.
China's commercial space industry is growing rapidly. Private companies in the country are investing heavily to compete with the American giant SpaceX. The goal is bold: to launch at least six reusable rockets by 2025. The initiative has the direct support of President Xi Jinping.
Since 2014, the Chinese government has encouraged the participation of private companies in space sector. Previously, the sector was dominated only by state-owned companies. This change is generating a new wave of innovation, with ambitious projects and accelerated technological advancement.
LandSpace and Deep Blue lead technological advances
In 2023, LandSpace Technology marked a historic milestone. It launched the world’s first rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane. The milestone came before SpaceX managed to do the same with its Starship spacecraft. It was the first time a Chinese company had surpassed the American company in a key technical development.
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Another notable company is Deep Blue Aerospace. Created by a former state rocket engineer, it is already preparing to test a reusable booster in 2025. In addition, the company plans to offer space tourism flights by 2027. The price per ticket is expected to exceed US$100 per person.
Entrepreneur Huo, a leading figure in the Chinese aerospace sector, says China could catch up with or even surpass SpaceX in the next five years. He believes in the potential of the country's private companies.
Focus on reusable rockets: Challenges to catch up with SpaceX
Even with the advances, the challenge is still great. SpaceX dominates the global market with reusable rockets and its Starlink satellite network, which already has more than 7.000 units in orbit.
Experts point out that China still needs to overcome obstacles to close the technological gap. Professor Lincoln Hines of Georgia Tech commented on the difficulty.
For him, as long as the country maintains a heavy state structure, it can achieve great things: “If China continues to have this bloated state-owned industry, it can do enormous feats like going to the other side of the moon or putting humans in space, but can it innovate and compete with the United States?"
Furthermore, not all tests have been successful. In 2023, a launch by Space Pioneer failed and caused damage to a local area. The incident exposed the risks of this rapidly growing industry.
Political support and international expansion
In February, President Xi Jinping met with CEOs and technology executives. During the meeting, he stressed the importance of strengthening the private sector as an engine of growth and innovation. This directive now extends to the space industry as well.
The Chinese government is interested not only in domestic advances, but also in conquering the global market. A clear example of this occurred in November 2023. A Chinese state-owned company successfully launched a satellite for Oman, demonstrating its intention to expand its presence on the international stage.
To counter Starlink’s dominance, China is also working on its own satellite internet projects. Two programs are currently under development: Guowang and Thousand Sails. Both aim to offer a competitive alternative to the service offered by SpaceX.
As China surges ahead, SpaceX continues to lead the way. Last week, it became Elon Musk’s most valuable asset, surpassing even Tesla. The company’s Dragon capsule also successfully completed another mission, returning NASA astronauts to Earth after a long stay at the International Space Station.
The race is on. China’s private space companies are demonstrating strength and ambition. But with SpaceX constantly innovating, it’s too early to tell whether China will be able to match the pace and truly challenge Musk’s dominance by 2030.
With information from Interesting Engineering.
