Getting Up to Speed with China's Commercial Reusable Rockets | CGTN

Getting Up to Speed with China's Commercial Reusable Rockets | CGTN

Deploying reusable launch vehicles is the pinnacle pursuit for maximizing cost-effectiveness in commercial space exploration. This December 2023, China's private rocket industry shattered multiple launch records, elevating expectations for the country's journey towards utilizing reusable rockets. Dive into the latest achievements of these space explorers with this episode of "Tech Please!"

China opened up its space sector to private and commercial activity in 2014. This is seen as largely in reaction to the explosion of commercial space in the U.S. The central government has since implemented policies and published guidance to support the development of commercial space.

2023 has been a notable year for China’s commercial launch companies. CAS Space, Galactic Energy, iSpace, Expace, Space Pioneer and Landspace have all reached orbit. These include first Chinese commercial liquid propellant launch successes, achieved by Space Pioneer and Landspace. 

Chinese commercial rocket company iSpace’s Hyperbola-2 launch vehicle performed a successful vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) test on Nov. 2, 2023. Hyperbola-2 is a small, reusable, two-stage liquid-propellant launch vehicle, designed by iSpace (Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Corporation Ltd.) to launch up to 1.9 tons to low-Earth orbit. This test marks progress towards a reusable medium-lift rocket to debut in 2025. It is also the latest marker in Chinese efforts to emulate the success of SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket.

The Tiangong Space Station is expected to provide an opportunity for commercial launch vehicles to gain contracts to deliver cargo. The national Guowang LEO broadband megaconstellation is also expected to provide opportunities for commercial actors.

Video Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 5 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 24, 2023  

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