Cheaper Costs, China's Satellite Launch Industry Continues to Develop
China continues to catch up with the US in mastering space technology. This often provokes mutual criticism between China and the US.
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The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Biaya Makin Murah, Industri Peluncuran Satelit China Terus Berkembang
The Long March-2F rocket carries the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft with three astronauts to the Tiangong space station, launching from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu, China, on November 29, 2022.
BEIJING, SUNDAY — The commercial satellite launch industry in China is predicted to grow rapidly this year. One of the driving factors is the success in cutting launch costs. China is increasingly able to compete with Space-X, an American company which currently provides commercial satellite launch services with the lowest rates.
On Saturday (2/3/2024), China's rocket, Jielong-3, launched nine satellites into orbit simultaneously. Jielong-3 was launched from a floating barge off the coast of Yangjiang in the southern province of Guangdong, China.
Also read: Towards the end of the year, China is busy sending satellites to space
The launch of the Jielong-3 rocket marks the third launch in just two months. Developed by China Rocket Co., the Jielong-3 was first launched in December 2022. China Rocket Co. is a commercial branch of the state-owned spacecraft manufacturer.
In a photo released by Chinese news agency Xinhua, the carrier rocket for the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft, Long March-2F, launched from a launch pad at the Jiguan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province, China on June 5, 2022.
On the same day, China's car manufacturer, Geely Holding Group, also launched 11 satellites simultaneously. These satellites are navigation satellites designed to enhance the company's capacity in providing more accurate navigation for self-driving vehicles.
China's President Xi Jinping has called for the expansion of strategic industries, including the commercial aerospace sector. The commercial satellite launch sector is considered crucial in building satellite constellations for communication, remote sensing, and navigation.
China has become the second country to launch more satellites compared to other countries.
China's ability to launch satellites continues to improve as it catches up with the United States. In 2023, there will be 67 orbital satellite launches throughout China, including 17 commercial satellite launches with one failure.
The number has increased from 10 commercial launches in 2022, including two failures. In total, in 2022 and 2021, China launched 64 and 55 space missions respectively.
In the photo released by Xinhua News Agency, astronaut Jing Haipeng is carried out of the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft's capsule after successfully landing at Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, on October 31, 2023.
In 2023, China will become the second country to launch more satellites than any other country. The first position is held by the US, which has made 116 launch attempts, including around 100 launches by entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Also read: China shakes US success in space
Currently, China's ability in developing commercial satellite launch networks is increasingly growing. The most rapid progress that has been achieved is the capability to suppress launch costs.
Another development is the increasing number of launch windows, the growing variety of rocket types to accommodate various payload sizes, and the increasing number of launch locations. The increase in launch sites is achieved through the construction of more spaceports and the use of ships for sea launches.
In the photo released by Xinhua news agency, the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-12 with the Long March-2F rocket is being transferred to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province, China on June 9, 2021.
Reduce costs
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, Jielong-3 can carry a payload weighing up to 1,500 kilograms into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit for less than $10,000 US dollars (IDR 157.1 million) per kilogram for small rockets. This price is becoming increasingly competitive with the rate set by SpaceX, which is $5,500 US dollars (IDR 86.4 million) per kilogram. However, SpaceX will implement additional costs in the future.
Also read: China sends another space mission, its astronauts will teach from space
China Rocket Company stated that the rocket can carry more than 20 satellites. A similar cost could be achieved with the Long March 11 rocket, but its payload is much smaller. Jielong-3 is comparable to the Lijian-1 rocket, which first flew in 2022.
Currently, several companies in the commercial satellite launch field have emerged in China. In addition to China Rocket Co, there is CAS Space, a commercial division of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based in Guangzhou. CAS Space is one of the producers of Lijian-1, which can send payloads weighing up to 1,500 kg into a synchronous sun orbit along a 500 km path.
People watched as the Long March 5B rocket, which carried China's Tianhe space station core module, launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province, China on April 29, 2021.
Another commercial company in the satellite launch sector in China is Galactic Energy. The company has the Ceres-1 rocket which is capable of sending a payload weighing up to 300 kg into a similar orbit. Based in Beijing, Galactic Energy has carried out seven launches of the Ceres-1 in 2023. This number has gone up from four launches in 2020-2022.
Another Chinese company, Landspace, launched Zhuque-2 in 2023. The launch marked the world's first successful delivery of payload using a liquid oxygen-methane rocket. The technology is a breakthrough in the use of low-cost liquid propellant in China.
Also read: Chinese Long March 5B Rocket Falls Out of Control in the Southern Pacific Ocean
In the field of larger rockets, there is Orienspace who will launch the Gravity-1 rocket from a ship off the coast of Shandong Province in January 2023. The rocket is capable of sending payloads of up to 6,500 kg into low Earth orbit. Gravity-1 is the strongest satellite launch vehicle developed by a private company in China.
Translation: The SpaceX rocket, Falcon 9, soared from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center on January 18, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. SpaceX remains the provider of satellite launch services with the lowest cost.
Rocket with small carrying capacity can carry up to 2,000 kg payload, while medium-sized rockets can carry up to 20,000 kg payload. Heavy rockets can carry payloads exceeding 20,000 kg. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy can lift a load of up to 64,000 kg into orbit, but a launch with such a load has not yet been done.
However, the US theory is only aimed at expanding its space military power and finding reasons to maintain its military hegemony.
China is continuously trying to catch up to the US in terms of space technology. This often leads to verbal sparring between China and the US. Spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, said that the US has long made claims of "China's space threat theory." According to Wang, this theory has smeared China's reputation.
"The US theory only aims to expand its space military power and look for reasons to maintain its military hegemony," said Wang at a press conference, Friday (2/2/2024), as quoted by media affiliated with the Chinese government, Global Times i>.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin
Statement by Wang responds to comments from the US Space Force, which released a report stating that Russia and China are designing and testing anti-space weapons to deny, disrupt, or destroy satellites and space services.
Wang stated that the notion of space as a battleground is solely the belief of the United States. This is evidenced by the US's active development of military capabilities in space and provocation of confrontation. (REUTERS)
