Elon Musk’s SpaceX sparks alarm in China with space programme branded 'unprecedented challenge'
Elon Musk’s SpaceX sparks alarm in China with space programme branded 'unprecedented challenge'
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Chinese officials said that Elon Musk's Space X is presenting an "unprecedented challenge" to their ambition to be a space power by 2045.
According to state-owned China Space News, China’s space ambition is being impacted and state space contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is “obviously lagging behind”.
SpaceX, which was founded by Elon Musk in 2002, aims to cut launch costs and make space flight more affordable.
The article said Musk's company was: "The lead in revolutionising and reshaping the global space industry."
SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket is launched from the company's Boca Chica launchpad
Reuters
It continued to say China's programme was behind SpaceX: "In a number of ways, including its development philosophy, research and production models, core rocket technologies, and economic performances."
It added that: "[CASC] is big but not strong or outstanding enough."
According to the article, technological gaps with SpaceX keep expanding every space worker should be “soberly aware” of the circumstances, overcome “complacency and blind arrogance” and work harder.
The China Space News commentary reiterated the timeline for the authorities’ next priorities, including landing the first Chinese astronauts on the moon and returning rock samples from Mars, both slated for no later than 2030.
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SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy
Reuters
Chinese authorities are eyeing up replicating two key pieces of SpaceX technology.
Starship, a superheavy lift, fully-reusable launch system, and the internet satellite constellation Starlink are both in development by Elon Musk's company.
The Long March 9 superheavy rocket and Guo Wang Network are the two projects being developed CASC and other aerospace actors in China to rival Starship and Starlink.
SpaceX’s vice-president Bill Gerstenhaber told a Senate hearing in October that the company has been working “diligently” to maintain US leadership in space in the face of competition from China.
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He added that, without SpaceX’s "fast innovation", China would already have outperformed the US.
SpaceX's products also include the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft.
According to South China Morning Post, the 180-plus successful launches of 2022, 61 were conducted by SpaceX’s Falcon rockets, compared to CASC’s Long March rocket family’s 53.
In country rankings, the US was in the lead with 78 launches, followed by China at 64 and Russia at 21.