Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

Aerospace: Industry Trends

Related Topics:
Aerospace: Industry Trends
Track China’s ambitious aerospace advancements, from the home-grown commercial aircraft to space exploration, and their global impact.
The SpaceSail booth at an exhibition in Shanghai, on June 24, 2026. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
China's space programme

As China-US space race heats up, Shanghai unveils space-computing hub

Songjiang is already a vital link in China’s satellite supply chain as home to SpaceSail, the low-Earth-orbit challenger to SpaceX’s Starlink.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Chinese reusable rocket’s success unlocks opportunities for Hong Kong

videocam
LandSpace

Meet Dai Zheng, the space veteran betting on China’s reusable rocket revolution

videocam
5
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
China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s C919 supply chain: inside the push to replace Western aerospace parts

The localisation strategy remains a long-term challenge and is not expected to derail the aircraft’s bid for EU safety approval, industry insider says.

videocam
Science

China joins Musk’s SpaceX with reusable rocket breakthroughs

LandSpace’s success in landing a rocket, following CASC’s achievement last month, may help launch space missions more cheaply and more frequently.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Science

China becomes first to recover orbital launch rockets with 2 distinct paths

Zhuque-3 reaches orbit and has its first stage recovered, pulling off a dual-track strategy even the US has yet to execute.

videocam
56
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
China airliners

How did 2 planes come within 20 metres of each other in the sky in Japan?

The incident, which at one point saw only 20 metres separating the planes, offers lessons for Chinese regulators and operators, analysts say.

33
China food security

China’s ageing farmers deploy drones as agriculture-automation trend spreads

Ageing rural populations are driving up demand for intelligent aerial devices, and the ‘irresistible trend” is expected to sweep through Southeast Asia.

Shenzhen

Shenzhen aircraft takes flight in Hong Kong under pioneering insurance plan

Shenzhen’s eVTOL aircraft secures cross-border insurance for Hong Kong flights, boosting the Greater Bay Area’s low-altitude economy.

A Yivtol electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at InnoEx 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on April 14, 2026. Photo: Eugene Lee
China airliners

EU test pilots find ‘no major hardware risks’ with China’s C919 jet: sources

European pilots are now wrapping up their long flight testing process for the C919, but it is still unclear when the jet might be certified, sources say.

videocam
16
The C919 passenger jet has been in service domestically in China for three years. Photo: Xinhua
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.

Science

China used a giant net to land a reusable rocket. Does the idea have legs?

It’s an unconventional approach that has sparked debate over how it stacks up against America’s landing-leg system.

videocam
21
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.

videocam
22
A Long March-10B carrier rocket blasts off from a commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, south China’s Hainan province, on Friday. Photo: Xinhua
China shipbuilding

China’s historic sea-based rocket recovery puts spotlight on local shipbuilder

Unlike conventional vessels, the platform must maintain exceptional stability and positioning accuracy in rough seas.

This drone photo taken last Friday shows the successful capture of the returned first stage of a Long March-10B carrier rocket on a seaborne platform. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

videocam
90
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Science

China conducts ground test of hypersonic ramjet that can change shape in flight

The graphite seal used in the Chinese breakthrough is the same one the US defence industry desperately needs.

20
A Northwestern Polytechnical University hypersonic vehicle lifts off in northwestern China last year. The university’s researchers have reported a new breakthrough in graphite-sealed engine technology with implications for the US-China hypersonic race. Photo: Handout
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.

China travel

China’s private-jet market finally pulling out of post-pandemic nosedive: source

Years-long liquidation of corporate fleets appears to be ending, aviation firm data shows, with a strategic pivot in who navigates the nation’s skies.

China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s first C919s get critical ‘C-checks’ as European regulators watch

The first deep-level maintenance of Comac’s narrowbody jet is expected to provide the data needed to prove the aircraft’s long-term durability to global inspectors.

videocam
Three years after its maiden commercial flight as China’s flagship civilian airliner, the C919 is entering a pivotal maintenance phase. Photo: Handout
China airliners

Air China C909 hits bird as Chinese jets face growing ‘real-world’ tests

Wildlife strike in Beijing caught on video near popular vantage point, illustrating how rising flight volumes expose Comac’s fleet of jets to more operational risks.

16
A suspected bird strike on a Chinese-made C909 regional jet in Beijing reportedly left some marks on its nose and airframe, but experts said the likelihood of any severe damage was very low. Photo: handout
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.

videocam
13
China airliners

China widens repair network for C919, C909 jets to outfly supply disruptions

China’s home-grown jets will be able to stay in the air for longer as maintenance centres open on the mainland, some with Hong Kong servicers.

videocam
4
China airliners

Why China’s C909 jet is rapidly being deployed in Xinjiang

The Chinese-made jet debuted in Xinjiang as recently as 2023, but is now being used on more than 120 routes in the region.

videocam
4
The C909 regional jet has transported more than 30 million passengers since launching a decade ago. Photo: Sina
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.

videocam
The SpaceX Starship and super heavy booster creates sound waves as it lifts off on its 12th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, US, on May 22. Photo: Reuters
Science

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

videocam
12
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement