At least 7 Chinese companies are striving to narrow the gap with SpaceX to achieve similar success with reusable rockets.
Chinese aerospace startups are racing to launch reusable rockets next year, driven by the goal of building large constellations of Internet satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink system. A minimum of 7 new private rockets, all designed for reusability and vertical landing, are aiming to reach orbit in 2025 and compete for contracts to deploy tens of thousands of broadband satellites in the coming years.
The reusable Tianlong-3 rocket has a design similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. (Photo: Weibo)
Leading the race is the Tianlong-3, a 71-meter tall kerosene and liquid oxygen two-stage rocket assembled by Space Pioneer in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, eastern China. Tianlong-3 is the second most powerful rocket developed in China, following the Long March 5B. With a payload capacity of 17 tons to LEO, the vehicle is designed to deploy satellites and can carry up to 30 satellites per launch. This rocket previously experienced an unexpected launch and crashed to the ground during static fire testing in June.
Tianlong-3 integrates a range of advanced technologies. These technologies include 3D-printed stainless steel engines and pressurized liquid nitrogen, which will meet the needs for low cost, reliability, and high frequency of satellite Internet launch operations. The first stage of Tianlong-3 operates with 9 Tianhuo-12 engines and is designed for 10 reuses.
Following closely behind Tianlong-3 is Zhuque-3, a medium-sized reusable rocket developed by LandSpace in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. Zhuque-3 is the only rocket among the 7 that will attempt to fly to orbit and recover its first stage during its inaugural flight next year. It is planned to launch in the second half of 2025 and aims to become the first operational reusable rocket in China, according to Zhang Changwu, the founder and CEO of LandSpace.
Standing at 76.6 meters tall, Zhuque-3 is made from stainless steel and uses liquid methane as fuel. In September, the vehicle successfully completed vertical landing tests after flying to an altitude of 10 kilometers. This rocket has a capacity to carry approximately 21 tons to LEO in expanded mode and 18.3 tons when recovering the first stage. Equipped with 9 Tianque-12B engines, the first stage of Zhuque-3 is designed for recovery and reuse up to 20 times. LandSpace manufactures more than 60% of the Tianque-12B engine components and has established a closed-loop process for the 3D-printed engine parts, from design to assembly.
The Hyperbola-3 rocket, 69 meters tall, developed by iSpace in Beijing, and the Kinetic-2, 53 meters tall, produced by CAS Space in Guangzhou, will also have their inaugural flights next year. Both rockets provide payload capacities of 12 to 13 tons to LEO in expanded mode, with Hyperbola-3 able to transport 8.5 tons in reusable mode. Other contenders in the race include Pallas-1 from Galactic Energy and Nebula-1 from Deep Blue Aerospace. Both of these reusable rockets are scheduled to fly in the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, Gravity-2, a medium-sized heavy reusable rocket under development by Orienspace, is set to launch at the end of 2025.
Chinese rocket companies are working hard to catch up with SpaceX and hope to achieve success with their reusable rockets. The Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX’s primary launch vehicle, has a payload capacity of 17 to 18 tons to LEO in reusable mode and plays a crucial role in building the Starlink mega-constellation. In 2024, the Falcon 9 achieved an impressive launch frequency of once every 3 days, deploying over 20 Starlink satellites per mission. Starlink currently includes nearly 7,000 satellites, providing Internet service to millions of users around the world, including many remote areas.
