Discussing the Most Marking Events of Chinese Space in 2019 (Podcast)
This article is a short summary for the end-of-year podcast my friend Blaine Curcio and I have recorded earlier this week, summing up the highlights of Chinese space in 2019. The podcast is freely available in the audio links below. Part 1: Launch, Constellations, Investment (58 minutes) Part 2: Space Exploration, and the “Pot Pourri Section” (39 minutes) For listeners accessing the webpage from China, … Continue reading Discussing the Most Marking Events of Chinese Space in 2019 (Podcast)
Long March 5 Launch in December: A Lot is at Stake
Excitement has been building up in China and among space enthusiasts ever since Chinese authorities have hinted at a possible return of Long March 5 to the launchpad at the end of the year. First mentioned by CGWIC during the Satellite Business Week in September 2019 [1], it was then further confirmed by the departure for Tianjin of the Yuan Wang 21 and 22 cargo … Continue reading Long March 5 Launch in December: A Lot is at Stake
Thoughts on the “Hype” about China’s NewSpace Launcher Startups – (Part 2/2)
This blogpost is a follow-up of a previous article (part 1/2) discussing the hype about Chinese private launchers. While we previously essentially put emphasis on investment and launch vehicles from an offer standpoint, this second and final post focuses on the demand for launchers, in other words to what extent the small sat market will be able to sustain Chinese launchers. Market Size and Ecosystem … Continue reading Thoughts on the “Hype” about China’s NewSpace Launcher Startups – (Part 2/2)
Thoughts on the “Hype” about China’s NewSpace Launcher Startups – (Part 1/2)
Introduction When discussing the rapid development of China’s private space sector and notably launch vehicles, many observers hint at a bubble: an unhealthy number of startups all pursuing the same scope of activities with similar technical solutions, and unsustainable growth not correlated with market demand. Is this justified? In this blogpost I offer some thoughts and engage in a comparison between Chinese and US NewSpace, … Continue reading Thoughts on the “Hype” about China’s NewSpace Launcher Startups – (Part 1/2)
Who’s Investing in China’s NewSpace? FutureAerospace Provides Some Answers in Latest Report
Note: the figures in this blog post come from FutureAerospace’s latest Commercial Space Investment Race report. In this article I have translated and commented on them. Original report in Mandarin is readily available on the web, for example at [1] or [2]. Yes, China’s NewSpace is growing. But Who is Backing Them? Space industry observers are generally aware that a very significant amount of investment … Continue reading Who’s Investing in China’s NewSpace? FutureAerospace Provides Some Answers in Latest Report
Why Beijing’s New Daxing International Airport is a Big Deal (Part 2/2)
This is the second and final blog post of a 2-part article series on Beijing’s new Daxing International Airport. While Part 1 was a general overview of the airport and its integration into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area, Part 2 focuses on the impact on Chinese airlines. Beijing: Air China’s Home Base Fig.1 – Boeing 747-400 landing, during a Beijing-Shenzhen flight (Credit: © Jay Lee 2019) Although … Continue reading Why Beijing’s New Daxing International Airport is a Big Deal (Part 2/2)
Why Beijing’s New Daxing International Airport is a Big Deal (Part 1/2)
This article is the first in a two-part series about Beijing’s new Daxing International Airport. Part I will be an overview of the airport’s characteristics and its regional integration; Part II will dig deeper into how the airport shifts the Beijing airline landscape. Introduction In the booming past 30 years of Chinese air transport, one of the most impressive realizations has been the money and … Continue reading Why Beijing’s New Daxing International Airport is a Big Deal (Part 1/2)
A Large Scale Update of the China Aerospace Blog NewSpace Mapping (June 2019 edition)
Introduction The NewSpace mapping of China Aerospace Blog has just been updated (June 2019 edition), adding 32 more startups to the landscape. Just as the previous edition, are included in the mapping the following companies: Private space startups, the core of the mapping, and most of which have been founded after the opening of China’s space industry to private investment in 2014 (see China’s New … Continue reading A Large Scale Update of the China Aerospace Blog NewSpace Mapping (June 2019 edition)
Impressions on the 2019 edition of China Space Day, in Changsha
This blog post inaugurates a more personal article series, that will give an account of my trips and visits in China (exhibitions, rocket launches, visits…). Do let me know what you think in the comments or by private message. This weekend marks the closure of the events surrounding the 4th edition of China Space Day, which took place in Changsha from the 22nd to the … Continue reading Impressions on the 2019 edition of China Space Day, in Changsha
The Technical Choices of China’s NewSpace Launcher Companies in 2019
This article looks at the technical choices of Chinese NewSpace startups regarding propulsion technology and expendability/reusability, and what this reveals of their understanding of the commercial launch market. At the time of writing, we are entering the 5th year of China’s “Open Up Policy” in the space industry, which has enabled private capital to flow into space companies and triggered the emergence of a large … Continue reading The Technical Choices of China’s NewSpace Launcher Companies in 2019
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