China's space agency, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), is gearing up to launch two massive reusable rockets by 2025 and 2026. This exciting news comes from a recent report.
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According to Wang Wei, a deputy to the country's National People's Congress, CASC is preparing to send up rockets with diameters of four meters and five meters. To give you an idea, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, which is currently the largest operational rocket, has a diameter of about 3.66 meters. But wait, there's more! SpaceX's upcoming Starship will be even larger, with a whopping nine-meter diameter.
CASC's focus is on developing a five-meter rocket called the Long March 10. This rocket could launch China's new Mengzhou crew spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. There's even talk of a three-core version that could send the next-generation spacecraft into trans-lunar orbit.
These rockets are part of China's ambitious plan to put a Chinese astronaut on the Moon by 2030. China already has a space station in orbit with three modules. With the International Space Station set to retire by 2030, China's space station could become the main hub for low-Earth orbit missions.
In addition to the rockets, China is expanding its space station, Tiangong, by adding three more modules. This expansion, along with the existing modules, will create a six-module assembly weighing 180 tons. While this is smaller than the current ISS, it could still become a key destination for experiments and missions in space.
CASC recently completed a successful hover test for vertical take-off and landing, a crucial step before launching the rockets next year.
This news comes at a time when private Chinese space companies are also developing reusable rockets to compete with SpaceX. With both public and private sectors investing in reusable technology, China is poised to become a major player in the space race in the coming years.
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