China with New Rockets Eyes Bigger Share in Commercial Space Launch Market

China has recently unveiled a new generation of commercial carrier rockets, which has the capacity to carry up to 1.5-tonne payload as it gears up to compete with other nations in a bid to take a bigger share of the growing lucrative global space launch market.

China Rocket, a commercial space wing of rocket-maker of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology has unveiled the country’s new ‘Long’ rocket series, which comprises of a cluster of solid-fuelled rockets, codenamed as “Smart Dragon” and a Tenglong liquid-propellant rocket on Sunday.

The new sets of rockets are aiming to tap the growing potential of domestic as well as global commercial space launches, state-run Global Times reported.

In a statement China Rocket said, the new sets of rockets are “basically capable of meeting the requirements of the overwhelming majority of launch missions for domestic and foreign commercial satellites”.

China, which has already sent a mission to the moon and has elaborate plans to extend its space mission to Mars along with setting up its own permanent space station by 2022. However, it lags behind in attracting the global commercial rocket market.

An article published in Global Times in the year 2017 has warned that China’s space industry is lagging behind of India in the commercial space industry. The article wrote, “India’s successful launch of a record-breaking 104 satellites into orbit could serve as a wake-up call for China’s commercial space industry and there are a number of lessons for the country to learn”.

The article titled, “China needs to cut commercial space costs to compete with India” also wrote, “Of the 104 satellites, 96 belong to the US, which makes India a fierce competitor in the global market for commercial rocket launch services”. 

The achievements of India are largely driven by its low-price advantage, which is a weak point for China’s commercial space sector. Now, keeping low costs in mind, the Tenglong rocket, which was unveiled by China to public last week, could collect the launch cost for each kilogram of payload to within $5,000, as reported by the Global Times.

The Tenglong rocket is expected to be ready and make its first flight in the year 2021. Tang Yagang, the CEO of China Rocket, said, “The ‘Long’ series is designed to meet the increasing market demand for sending commercial payloads into orbit both at home and abroad”. Whereas the Smart Dragon rocket family is made up of the SD-1, 2 and 3 launch vehicles.

The first model of the SD family, the SD-1 has completed its first flight on August 17, which has the capability to carry 200 kg and thus it is expected to carry out 20 launch missions annually.