US EditionChina's LandSpace Gears up to Take on Elon Musk and SpaceX
LandSpace aims to cut launch costs and support China’s satellite constellation plans with reusable rockets, seeking IPO funding after a recent booster recovery failure, analysts say.
- Earlier this month, LandSpace, the Beijing-based rocket startup, became the first Chinese company to conduct a reusable rocket test, putting SpaceX on alert as it prepares for an IPO.
- After leaving the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in 2016, Dai Zheng joined LandSpace, inspired by SpaceX's focus on reusability and faster iteration than China's state-led space programme.
- After a December setback when Zhuque-3's booster failed to activate a landing burn three kilometres from the ground and crashed, LandSpace opened its engine factory this month, using stainless steel sheaths and methalox engines to lower launch costs.
- LandSpace's drive for reusability is providing fresh impetus to China's space industry, challenging risk-averse state-owned entities and shifting dynamics among private startups in commercial spaceflight.
- LandSpace's low-cost focus highlights first-stage recovery and reuse as the main cost-saver, using stainless steel and methalox to support Beijing's plans for 10,000 satellite constellations.
16 Articles
16 Articles
China's rocket startup LandSpace set to challenge Elon Musk's SpaceX
While tech billionaire Elon Musk seems to be reigning supreme in the realm of aerospace technology, China's rocket startup LandSpace is establishing itself as a competitor against Musk's SpaceX. It is widely believed that the Chinese...
China eases IPO rules for reusable rocket firms to speed space ambitions
China has eased listing requirements for private companies developing reusable commercial rockets, shifting regulatory scrutiny away from short-term financial performance and toward technological milestones, as Beijing steps up efforts to close the gap with the United States in launch capabilities and low-Earth-orbit satellites.
At the beginning of the month, the private company became the first Chinese entity to test a reusable fossil. Now, it is ready to open up capital to finance its future projects.
China advances space ambitions to rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX
China is looking to give Elon Musk a run for his money. China’s rocket startup LandSpace has made no secret about drawing inspiration from Musk’s SpaceX. China is increasingly positioning itself as a serious competitor in the commercial space race, and one of the clearest signs of this ambition is the rise of private rocket startups such as LandSpace. Often compared to Musk’s SpaceX, LandSpace has openly acknowledged drawing inspiration from Spa…
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