【China's Aerospace: The National Team and Private Enterprises Advancing Together】Five hundred years ago, humanity entered the Age of Great Navigation; now we are stepping into the Age of Great Space Exploration.
One of today's hottest industries is "commercial aerospace"—space activities driven by profit, primarily involving satellite launches, space transportation, space tourism, and more.
The commercial aerospace sector has already formed a complete industrial chain. At the top are satellite systems, followed by rocket systems, then satellite tracking, control, operations, and applications—forming an integrated commercial aerospace industry ecosystem.
Globally, the commercial aerospace landscape is mainly led by the United States, China, and Europe.
The United States leads in reusable rocket technology, having established its own self-contained commercial loop: not only building rockets but also satellites. In terms of launch mass delivered to orbit, the U.S. leads globally—the total orbital insertion mass exceeds 1,000 tons, accounting for 85% of global launch mass, almost monopolizing the international launch market.
2015 marked the inaugural year of commercial aerospace in China. Since then, the state has successively introduced policies and regulations supporting private-sector development in commercial aerospace, which was even included in government work reports as a new form of productive force.
Applications of commercial aerospace have shifted from traditional government-led models to market-driven ones, covering low-cost rocket launches, satellite manufacturing, space tourism, and space resource development.
In reality, the rocket launch market is enormous. Conventional launch vehicles like the Long March series cannot meet the growing demand for private commercial satellite launches. As a result, commercial rocket companies have naturally emerged and are rapidly flourishing.
Looking at the current state of China’s commercial launch vehicle development, both the national team and private enterprises are advancing together.
The national team primarily consists of two major state-owned enterprises: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), each establishing their own commercial rocket subsidiaries to respond to the rapid changes in the market.
Private commercial rocket companies have developed rapidly in recent years, setting up their own launch pads at the Dongfeng Space Launch Site, along with associated integration and testing facilities.
Within the state system, liquid-fueled rockets are more commonly pursued. The Long March series has been developed over the past two to three decades, undertaking major national missions such as lunar exploration and manned spaceflight, with liquid propulsion being the mainstay.
Solid-fuel propulsion, on the other hand, is primarily adopted by private enterprises to quickly enter the market. The strategy is to first enter the field using solid rockets, then continuously develop liquid-propulsion systems. Developing liquid rockets takes a very long time and requires substantial investment, including rigorous reliability testing, to meet the demands of launch vehicle operations.
Returning from Jiuquan, hearing this news today, I was moved to reflect.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870311712035852/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.