SHANGHAI: A world-first launch from the far side of the Moon this week showcased China’s progress in space, and Beijing now wants its commercial sector to catch up to rivals such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Chinese companies lag far behind US frontrunners led by SpaceX, which plans to launch Starship, a massive prototype rocket that may one day send humans to Mars, on Thursday, AFP reported.
The gap is narrowing, however, as China realizes the value a solid commercial sector can add to its existing capabilities, according to experts.
It could even become similar to the development of electric vehicles where EV pioneer Tesla, also founded by Elon Musk, was an early mover in China but now faces fierce competition from a host of homegrown rivals, said analyst Chen Lan.
Chen said that in five years, SpaceX may feel pressure. The situation in today’s EV market will probably happen again when a lion (Tesla or SpaceX) faces a pack of wolves (Chinese companies).
Tesla was recently overtaken by China’s BYD as the world’s top seller.
China Space Sector
China only opened up parts of the space sector to private capital in late 2014 but hundreds of companies have since sprung up.
A CERES-1 commercial rocket, for example, sent 3 satellites into orbit on Thursday, one of dozens of launches planned this year.
Blaine Curcio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting, said that China’s commercial space sector is impressively large and deep.
While SpaceX is vastly ahead of its Chinese equivalent, if we compare the 5th or the 10th most-developed launch companies in the US and China, China is probably ahead.
