China's commercial space sector strives to reach new heights

BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Over the waters off east China's Shandong Province, a rocket blasts upward, streaking a brilliant trail through the sky.

The launch, carried out by Chinese aerospace company Galactic Energy, successfully delivered four satellites into orbit, marking the firm's fifth consecutive successful sea-based launch.

Taking place on May 19, the mission is a prime example of how China's commercial space industry is accelerating onto the fast track of development.

From coastal launch pads to orbital deployment, activities among a new generation of private Chinese aerospace enterprises are redefining the country's access to space, marked by greater frequency, precision and innovation.

Building on this momentum, China's commercial space sector is now entering an era of rapid development, driven by technological breakthroughs, expanding launch capabilities and the accelerated construction of space-based infrastructure.

Rockets, satellites and launch sites form the three essential pillars of the commercial space industry. With China's first launch facility dedicated to commercial missions becoming operational last year, the final piece of the country's commercial space ecosystem is now in place, paving the way for fully integrated development.

In 2025, several reusable rockets are scheduled to make their maiden flights in China. On the satellite front, large-scale constellations such as the Spacesail Constellation -- a commercial Chinese low-orbit satellite network -- continue to launch, while demand for small satellites is experiencing explosive growth.

According to projections, the scale of China's commercial space market is expected to exceed 2.5 trillion yuan (about 348 billion U.S. dollars) this year.

"Space is a vital resource waiting to be explored, and we are very optimistic about the commercial space sector," said Xia Dongkun, executive president of Galactic Energy.

In 2024, the commercial space sector was listed in the country's government work report as a "new engine of economic growth." Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai soon followed the report with dedicated support policies and action plans, accelerating their investment in the commercial aerospace sector.

In the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, more than 160 aerospace enterprises have formed a still-growing cluster, with companies engaged in full-rocket development accounting for 75 percent of the national total.

As China's commercial aerospace ecosystem continues to evolve, collaboration between market forces and supportive government policies is laying a solid foundation for sustained growth.

To date, the number of commercial space companies in China has surged to over 500, with the number of satellites in orbit continuing to rise steadily.

With the development of low-orbit satellite internet, some commercial satellite companies are moving toward mass production and cost-efficient manufacturing.

At the satellite superfactory of Geespace in the city of Taizhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, an intelligent network system coordinates every stage of design, R&D, production, testing and operations.

After undergoing more than 60 assembly procedures, a complete satellite is assembled, reducing the manufacturing cycle to just 28 days. Production speeds have increased 10-fold, and manufacturing costs have dropped significantly.

"In satellite manufacturing, the advantages of commercial aerospace companies in low-cost, mass production are becoming increasingly evident," said Zhang Shijie, chief scientist at space firm GalaxySpace.

"The industry is shifting from small-batch, customized development to scaled production. The ability to build satellites like assembling computers is no longer a vision; it has become a reality," Zhang added.

From sea to space, China's commercial rockets are not only breaking through the atmosphere, they're also propelling a new era of innovation and industrial transformation. ■