BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's commercial space industry entered a fast development track in 2024, as its market volume is expected to exceed 2.3 trillion yuan (about 314 billion U.S. dollars).
Innovations in the commercial space industry chain, such as reusable rockets in different technical routes, construction of launch sites, and the latest satellite transmission technologies, have boosted the industry's vigorous development in the years to come.
REUSABLE ROCKETS
Reusable rockets are a key technology for the commercial space industry. Several Chinese rocket companies are conducting intensive test flights to iterate and improve reusable technologies. Among them, new rockets developed by companies like Space Pioneer, CAS Space, Galactic Energy and LandSpace are scheduled for their maiden flights in 2025, with subsequent plans to achieve first-stage recovery and reuse.
Among these rockets, LandSpace's Zhuque-3 rocket could become the country's first rocket with a stainless steel body that can enter the orbit around Earth. Zhuque-3 completed a 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing recovery test in September 2024 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
This mission used a single-stage rocket with liquid oxygen and methane engines, marking the first time a Chinese rocket finished vertical takeoff and landing.
The mission also tested technologies such as in-flight relight after re-entry, joint guidance and control under transonic and high dynamic pressure conditions, and the engineering application of real-time wind correction technology at high altitudes, marking a breakthrough for China's commercial reusable launch vehicle technology.
Another reusable rocket prototype, Tianlong-3, developed by Space Pioneer, uses a 110-tonne thrust liquid oxygen and kerosene engine to achieve a performance similar to that of SpaceX's Falcon 9. It is designed to launch more than 30 satellites in a single mission.
SMART LAUNCH SITES
China has opened several commercial launch facilities in the past year, all of which have adopted innovative designs for launching rockets made by different companies.
For example, the Hainan Commercial Aerospace Launch Site completed its first launch mission on Nov. 30, 2024. Its intelligent launch site system integrates multiple subsystems through digital information and intelligent applications, achieving centralized resource management and unified scheduling to accommodate different launch missions.
The No.2 launch pad, which carried out the first launch mission, features a universal interface design. Its equipment modules can be replaced according to different launch missions and provide launch services to rockets of different propellant types, takeoff weights, diameters and lengths.
Another example is the Dongfeng commercial space pilot zone, which was built near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. It can meet the launch requirements for large, medium and small rockets using different propellants, such as liquid oxygen-kerosene, liquid oxygen-methane, and solid propellants.
NEW SATELLITE TECHS
Chinese commercial space companies are also accelerating innovations in satellite applications and exploring new market scenarios.
In mid-2024, GalaxySpace tested a broadband communication network in Thailand based on a low-Earth-orbit satellite internet constellation named "Little Spider Web," which consists of eight low-Earth-orbit communication satellites. It plans to deploy more such satellites to promote a low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite internet in the global market.
The company is currently developing a type of satellite featuring integrated solar wings and antennas. This design allows a large antenna surface combined with solar wings to enhance the satellite's signal transmission. It is expected to realize direct broadband communication between consumer-grade mobile phones and satellite communication networks.
Another satellite application company, Chang Guang Satellite Technology, has achieved a breakthrough in satellite data transmission. In December 2024, it experimented with high-resolution remote-sensing image transmission using 100-Gbps (gigabits per second) ground-satellite laser transmission technology.
The company has mastered 100-Gbps laser communication technology for ground-satellite and inter-satellite communications. It has established a high-speed laser data transmission network, which will enhance the capabilities of remote-sensing satellites in disaster monitoring, environmental protection, and emergency response.
Moreover, this technology can be applied to the integrated ground-satellite mobile communication systems for satellite internet by offering a broader spectrum and higher data transmission rates to facilitate the development of 5G non-terrestrial networks and 6G satellite internet. ■