Zürcher Nachrichten - China sees commercial sector as next frontier in US space race

EUR -
AED 3.832684
AFN 72.959602
ALL 98.462959
AMD 410.45402
ANG 1.873047
AOA 957.921829
ARS 1062.031565
AUD 1.668562
AWG 1.878277
AZN 1.784801
BAM 1.956057
BBD 2.098476
BDT 124.196346
BGN 1.95543
BHD 0.392152
BIF 3072.704402
BMD 1.043487
BND 1.411486
BOB 7.181945
BRL 6.350643
BSD 1.039337
BTN 88.357629
BWP 14.364891
BYN 3.401248
BYR 20452.35176
BZD 2.089175
CAD 1.498735
CDF 2994.808319
CHF 0.931781
CLF 0.03736
CLP 1030.865674
CNY 7.613704
CNH 7.60587
COP 4549.298739
CRC 524.369013
CUC 1.043487
CUP 27.652414
CVE 110.279514
CZK 25.108428
DJF 185.074358
DKK 7.458116
DOP 63.288329
DZD 140.667513
EGP 53.089373
ERN 15.65231
ETB 129.556951
FJD 2.417812
FKP 0.826423
GBP 0.829839
GEL 2.932642
GGP 0.826423
GHS 15.278011
GIP 0.826423
GMD 75.13081
GNF 8979.181761
GTQ 8.008054
GYD 217.438617
HKD 8.11073
HNL 26.382472
HRK 7.484837
HTG 135.967895
HUF 414.03543
IDR 16874.546735
ILS 3.801242
IMP 0.826423
INR 88.646863
IQD 1361.479186
IRR 43917.772492
ISK 145.170484
JEP 0.826423
JMD 162.611401
JOD 0.739936
JPY 163.242118
KES 134.177659
KGS 90.783029
KHR 4176.549681
KMF 486.395546
KPW 939.138018
KRW 1509.320727
KWD 0.321342
KYD 0.866114
KZT 545.821836
LAK 22747.993892
LBP 93069.24896
LKR 305.14016
LRD 188.634826
LSL 19.134218
LTL 3.081147
LVL 0.631195
LYD 5.106672
MAD 10.460077
MDL 19.14352
MGA 4903.645375
MKD 61.5431
MMK 3389.206159
MNT 3545.769827
MOP 8.320295
MRU 41.33344
MUR 49.25222
MVR 16.052761
MWK 1802.137182
MXN 20.931771
MYR 4.704048
MZN 66.682732
NAD 19.134218
NGN 1616.92545
NIO 38.245033
NOK 11.810924
NPR 141.372606
NZD 1.846749
OMR 0.401533
PAB 1.039337
PEN 3.870109
PGK 4.214555
PHP 61.430102
PKR 289.288974
PLN 4.258903
PYG 8104.066586
QAR 3.788799
RON 4.979106
RSD 117.045935
RUB 107.244587
RWF 1448.790677
SAR 3.91966
SBD 8.748133
SCR 14.551486
SDG 627.662417
SEK 11.505215
SGD 1.414024
SHP 0.826423
SLE 23.787187
SLL 21881.410825
SOS 593.978174
SRD 36.65877
STD 21598.081035
SVC 9.094197
SYP 2621.793487
SZL 19.129518
THB 35.780887
TJS 11.369896
TMT 3.662641
TND 3.311736
TOP 2.44395
TRY 36.710281
TTD 7.053928
TWD 34.050018
TZS 2468.324859
UAH 43.588037
UGX 3812.501768
USD 1.043487
UYU 46.356101
UZS 13399.76356
VES 53.713772
VND 26561.970104
VUV 123.884906
WST 2.882934
XAF 656.043343
XAG 0.035154
XAU 0.000398
XCD 2.820076
XDR 0.792804
XOF 656.043343
XPF 119.331742
YER 261.263155
ZAR 19.096059
ZMK 9392.640903
ZMW 28.762786
ZWL 336.002496
  • CMSD

    0.0000

    23.56

    0%

  • BCC

    -0.2600

    122.75

    -0.21%

  • SCS

    -0.5800

    11.74

    -4.94%

  • NGG

    0.8200

    58.5

    +1.4%

  • RBGPF

    59.9600

    59.96

    +100%

  • GSK

    0.1700

    33.6

    +0.51%

  • BTI

    0.1131

    36.24

    +0.31%

  • CMSC

    0.0200

    23.86

    +0.08%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    7.27

    -0.14%

  • RIO

    -0.0900

    58.64

    -0.15%

  • RELX

    -0.3100

    45.47

    -0.68%

  • BCE

    0.0500

    23.16

    +0.22%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    8.39

    +0.12%

  • JRI

    0.1100

    12.06

    +0.91%

  • AZN

    0.9100

    65.35

    +1.39%

  • BP

    0.1900

    28.6

    +0.66%

China sees commercial sector as next frontier in US space race
China sees commercial sector as next frontier in US space race / Photo: Handout - China National Space Administration/AFP

China sees commercial sector as next frontier in US space race

A world-first launch from the far side of the Moon this week showcased China's progress in space, and Beijing now wants its commercial sector to catch up to rivals such as Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Text size:

Chinese companies lag far behind American frontrunners led by SpaceX, which plans to launch Starship, a massive prototype rocket that may one day send humans to Mars, on Thursday.

The gap is narrowing, however, as Beijing realises the value a solid commercial sector can add to its existing capabilities, experts told AFP.

It could even become similar to the development of electric vehicles where EV pioneer Tesla, also founded by Musk, was an early mover in China but now faces fierce competition from a host of homegrown rivals, said analyst Chen Lan.

"In five years, SpaceX may feel pressure," Chen told AFP.

"The situation in today's EV market will probably happen again when a lion (Tesla or SpaceX) faces a pack of wolves (Chinese companies)."

Tesla was recently overtaken by China's BYD as the world's top seller.

Beijing only opened up parts of the space sector to private capital in late 2014 but hundreds of companies have since sprung up.

A CERES-1 commercial rocket, for example, sent three satellites into orbit on Thursday, one of dozens of launches planned this year.

"China's commercial space sector is impressively large and deep," said Blaine Curcio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting.

While SpaceX is "vastly ahead" of its Chinese equivalent, "if we compare the fifth, or the 10th most-developed launch companies in the US and China, China is probably ahead", he said.

- Vital launching capacity -

China's government has sent humans into orbit, built a space station and landed rovers on the Moon and Mars -- where it aims to send crewed missions by 2030 and 2033 respectively.

In contrast, Chen said, the commercial sector is currently focused on low-cost launch vehicles and small satellites.

However, this launching capacity will be critical to China's aim of establishing satellite mega-constellations, state broadcaster CCTV reported in April.

China is developing two such networks: Guowang, set to consist of 13,000 spacecraft, and G60 Starlink, envisioned at 12,000.

Chinese satellites currently in orbit, though, number in the hundreds rather than thousands.

CCTV said speed was vital because China's satellite plans face multiple competitors and a limit on both the number of spacecraft in orbit and available frequencies for use.

Its report made repeated references to SpaceX, whose Falcon 9 rockets act as workhorses for NASA, and whose Starlink satellite constellation now covers dozens of countries.

China harnessing commercial launching capacity in a similar way would "help traditional state-owned players focus on civil and military programmes... while also boosting China's overall launch and space capabilities and meeting national strategic goals", wrote SpaceNews.com's Andrew Jones.

The opportunity must be grasped in the next five to 10 years "to help our country seize the right to speak in the space of the future", CCTV quoted a representative of domestic firm LandSpace as saying.

Control of the cosmos is already another arena for US-China rivalry, with both accusing the other of hiding its space programme's military objectives.

The next decade of competition with China was the "most critical 10 years" in history, a former US Space Command chief said recently.

"We cannot afford to lose," he said.

- 'Deep links' -

There are "deep links" between China's state and commercial sectors, said Curcio, with many companies founded by former employees from state-run companies or academics from government institutes.

Still, the central government is increasingly throwing its weight behind the sector.

It was termed a "strategic emerging industry" to be "nurtured" at an annual meeting of China's top decision-makers last December.

"Almost every province has some kind of space industry development plan, many cities have the same," said Curcio.

China made 26 commercial launches in 2023, according to state media, including LandSpace's Zhuque-2 rocket, the world's first methane-fuelled rocket.

"The next milestone will be a Falcon 9-class launcher and first stage re-use," said Chen, which several companies were expected to achieve in 2024.

The commercial sector should make up 30 of China's planned 100 launches this year.

By comparison, SpaceX comprised 98 of 109 US launches in 2023, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, highlighting the US company's superiority for now.

But the situation could be "totally different" in five years, said Chen, "as the gap continues to narrow".

I.Widmer--NZN