Every other week, it seems, a new Chinese launch company pops up with a rocket design and a plan to reach orbit within a few years. For a long time, the majority of these companies revealed designs that looked a lot like SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket.<\/p>\n
The first of these copy cats, the medium-lift Zhuque-3 rocket<\/a> built by LandSpace, launched earlier this month. Its primary mission was nominal, but the Zhuque-3 rocket failed its landing attempt, which is understandable for a first flight. Doubtless there will be more Chinese Falcon 9-like rockets making their debut in the near future.<\/p>\n However, over the last year, there has been a distinct change in announcements from China when it comes to new launch technology. Just as SpaceX is seeking to transition from its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket\u2014which has now been flying for a decade and a half\u2014to the fully reusable Starship design, so too are Chinese companies modifying their visions.<\/p>\n Everyone wants a Starship these days<\/p>\n The trend began with the Chinese government. In November 2024 the government announced a significant shift in the design of its super-heavy lift rocket, the Long March 9. Instead of the previous design, a fully expendable rocket with three stages and solid rocket boosters strapped to the sides, the country\u2019s state-owned rocket maker revealed a vehicle<\/a> that mimicked SpaceX\u2019s fully reusable Starship.<\/p>\n Around the same time, a Chinese launch firm named Cosmoleap announced plans<\/a> to develop a fully reusable \u201cLeap\u201d rocket within the next few years. An animated video that accompanied the funding announcement indicated that the company seeks to emulate the tower catch-with-chopsticks methodology that SpaceX has successfully employed.<\/p>\n