Explainer | Why China’s commercial space sector is grabbing attention – including from Elon Musk
Chinese start-up LandSpace is set to launch its first reusable rocket on Saturday. If it succeeds, it will give China’s space sector a major boost
On Saturday, the Beijing-based start-up LandSpace reportedly plans to conduct the maiden launch of its Zhuque-3 rocket – a reusable launch vehicle that could significantly boost China’s space industry by lowering the cost of lifting equipment such as satellites into orbit.
The prospect of China mastering reusable rockets – a technology pioneered by US-based SpaceX – has attracted significant attention from aerospace experts, and even drew comment from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk last month.
In this explainer, the Post breaks down the current state of China’s commercial space industry, how close it is to rolling out reusable rockets, and how the technology would benefit the country’s space programme.