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Aerospace: Geopolitics

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Aerospace: Geopolitics
Track China’s ambitious aerospace advancements, from the home-grown commercial aircraft to space exploration, and their global impact.
Chinese rocket maker Galactic Energy has successfully sent its Pallas-1 medium-to-large reusable rocket into orbit. Photo: Weibo
China’s private sector

Can China catch SpaceX? New commercial reusable rocket takes to the skies

The orbital mission marks a key milestone for Beijing’s commercial launch sector.

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United States

Trump orders creation of US ‘Space Academy’, amid rivalry with China

China's military weapons

Why China’s reusable rocket breakthrough matters for the PLA’s ‘kill chain’

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China's space programme

Editorial | As the space race heats up, China’s momentum is undeniable

LandSpace’s successful recovery of the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket is a milestone that underlines China’s aerospace ambitions.

In a global first, leading Chinese commercial rocket company LandSpace has recovered a stainless-steel booster after an orbital launch, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to develop lower-cost, reusable rockets. Photo: CCTV
War and conflict

Opinion | Chokepoints and the cost of cutting off access

The most dangerous chokepoint may not be the narrowest strait or rarest tech but where the final decision rests with the fewest people.

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India

India launches first private orbital rocket as space start-ups expand

Skyroot Technologies’ Vikram-1 rocket is about as tall as a seven-storey building and capable of carrying up to 350kg.

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Aerospace: Policy

How is China hunting hidden space rocks that could ‘devastate a small country’?

Beijing will use ground telescopes and orbital satellites to track dangerous space rocks that currently go undetected.

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While scientists believe the vast majority of near-Earth asteroids over 1km wide have been detected, most space rocks under 140 metres wide are yet to be spotted, but could cause catastrophic damage if they hit Earth. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

US National Science Foundation to ban projects with flagged Chinese institutions

Raising security fears, NSF moves from case-by-case approval to full ban on working with restricted entities and their employees.

China’s private sector

One giant leap for the state: how China’s aerospace model differs from SpaceX

Friday’s retrieval of a rocket booster made China the second nation to master the precision recovery of an orbital-class rocket component.

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IPO

The new space race: how China plans to break SpaceX’s dominance with IPO push

As Beijing makes history by capturing the Long March-10B booster at sea, at least 15 aerospace firms are racing to go public on Shanghai’s Star Market or in Hong Kong.

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The Long March-10B carrier that made history in China, pictured launching from Wenchang in the southern Hainan province on July 10. Photo: AFP
European Union

Opinion | EU isn’t just selling aircraft to China. It’s helping strengthen a competitor

China Eastern’s multibillion-dollar Airbus orders, after EU delays on certifying Chinese planes, show not inconsistency but leverage towards a long-term goal.

Airbus’ second final assembly line for A320 family aircraft in Tianjin, China, on October 22. Photo: Xinhua
Science

Long March-10B: China’s net-capture rocket joins space race with edge on SpaceX

Soon after launch, the first stage of the rocket returned vertically and was recovered via a sea platform, state media says.

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China airliners

China Eastern buys 25 A330neo widebody jets as interest rises in Airbus’ wings

Multibillion-dollar deal marks first Chinese widebody win for the planemaker since 2025, following high-level visits from Paris and Berlin.

Tiangong space station

An immersive visual guide to China’s space station

Explore the Tiangong space station and track its simulated orbit in our infographic.

Exploring China’s Tiangong space station - an infographic
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Can Hong Kong make a giant leap to commercial space insurance?

The explosive growth of China’s commercial space business, combined with geopolitical realities, gives the city a captive market.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China tech war

Who pays when rockets explode? China rushes to insure SpaceX’s rivals

Wave of Chinese insurers is underwriting rockets and satellites, turning space risk into a new front in the China-US rivalry.

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US-China tech war

Blocked from SpaceX IPO, Chinese investors get creative to catch a ride

Proxy stocks and supply chain speculation are among options after being locked out of what could be largest listing ever.

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China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s C919 jet poised to tackle ageing domestic fleet: industry official

High maintenance and fuel costs squeeze Chinese airlines as replacement rates lag, while Comac’s home-grown model seen as buffer against supply-chain hurdles.

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Several Air China passenger jets are seen at Beijing Capital International Airport in March 2020. Since that year, the number of aircraft over 20 years old has outpaced new deliveries in China. Photo: AFP
Technology

Opinion | For SpaceX, global dominance may not be written in the stars

Space is not an ordinary, commercial, open market but a strategic domain tied directly to sovereignty, security and industrial policy.

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China’s Communist Party

China says jailed aerospace engineer was lured into spying for foreign agency

State media says accused received US$88,000 after he ‘fell step by step into the trap laid’ by an unidentified spy organisation.

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US-China tech war

A cloud above the clouds: US, China jockey for position in computing space race

China could be a leading player in the new technological battlefield, but the US has a substantial lead in essential tools such as reusable rockets.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

US lawmakers warn China is top space rival as race to the moon intensifies

Beijing is using space for ‘diplomacy and influence’, US lawmakers claim amid growing competition with Washington.

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A Kinetica-2 Y1 carrier rocket, also known as the Lijian-2 Y1, with three satellites onboard blasts off from a launch centre in northwestern China. Photo: Xinhua
China economy

Opinion | Engine dilemma lies at heart of successful take-off for China’s C919

Launching the aircraft with the imported LEAP-1C engine has led to bottlenecks and dependence but developing a convincing home-made engine will take time.

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Space

Editorial | New space race should be recognised as a marathon, not a sprint

In lieu of cooperation, perhaps friendly competition between the spacefaring superpowers can ensure exploration benefits humankind.

China technology

China’s GPS rival, BeiDou, dominates at home. Now, it aims to convert the world

China is overhauling its home-grown satellite navigation system as part of a push to expand the network’s global influence.

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A display shows the design of the BeiDou satellite navigation system in eastern China’s Shandong province. Photo: Getty Images
Science

‘Lighthouses in space’: the Chinese jam-proof satellite network to fill GPS gaps

System places powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for drones, self-driving cars, space missions to navigate.

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Tsinghua University says its new network uses coded light signals from “beacon” satellites. Photo: Shutterstock
Airbus

Airbus wins Chinese airline’s 101-plane order in victory over Boeing

China Eastern Airlines said it would take delivery of the A320neo aircraft, worth US$15.8 billion, between 2028 and 2032.

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China airliners

China’s 5-year jet goals target C919 output, a new engine and less reliance

Amid geopolitical risks and supply-chain disruptions, Beijing is looking to shore up self-sufficiency in aircraft components, and an analyst says it has its work cut out.

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