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China's space programme

China's space programme
The China National Space Administration was founded more than 25 years ago and is overseeing an ambitious programme which includes deep space exploration, a manned space station, and cutting-edge advancements in technology, new materials, robotics and artificial intelligence.
Illustration: Huy Truong
US-China tech war

In Focus | China’s rocket recovery was a space race milestone. Is a relaunch within reach?

SpaceX might have a head start in reusable rockets, but Chinese commercial space companies are exploring ways to catch up in the cost-saving tech.

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Hainan

In Focus | How China is turning Hainan from a tourist island into a major aerospace hub

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United States

US has weapons deployed in orbit, Space Force says

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Space

Editorial | Hong Kong astronaut can help propel the city’s science and tech ambitions

Lai Ka-ying’s achievement should serve as the launch pad of a sustained push that makes science and innovation the new engine of the city’s development.

Students of Scientia Secondary School watch a live lecture by astronaut Lai Ka-ying from space on September 9. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong society

‘Keep pushing, never fear hardships,’ Hong Kong’s first astronaut tells students

Students ask about AI, robots and animal tests in space as Lai Ka-ying, and crewmates Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan take part in ‘Tiangong Class’.

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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s first astronaut to give live space lecture to students on Wednesday

Lai Ka-ying will take part in ‘Tiangong Class’, which will feature expert lecture, in-orbit demonstrations and question-and-answer session.

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China’s private sector

Can China catch SpaceX? New commercial reusable rocket takes to the skies

The orbital mission marks a key milestone for Beijing’s commercial launch sector.

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Chinese rocket maker Galactic Energy has successfully sent its Pallas-1 medium-to-large reusable rocket into orbit. Photo: Weibo
Aerospace: Industry Trends

As China-US space race heats up, Shanghai unveils space-computing hub

Songjiang is already a vital link in China’s satellite supply chain as home to SpaceSail, the low-Earth-orbit challenger to SpaceX’s Starlink.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Chinese reusable rocket’s success unlocks opportunities for Hong Kong

Flurry of commercial activity offers opportunities for Hong Kong’s financial markets, research universities and the Northern Metropolis.

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United States

Trump orders creation of US ‘Space Academy’, amid rivalry with China

The institution, which will train civilian and military recruits, will be modelled on the famous military school at West Point.

US President Donald Trump departs after presenting the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II crew members in Houston on Friday. Photo: AP
China’s private sector

China’s commercial space sector expands global footprint with Thailand deal

GalaxySpace describes mission as first turnkey satellite export to a Southeast Asian customer by a Chinese commercial space company.

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A Long March-6C carrier rocket carrying seven satellites blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua
Space

Moon mission delay a hiccup, but there’s no stopping Chinese rocket city’s rise

Rocket launches transform Wenchang from a farming community to a booming space city, drawing tourists and skilled workers in droves.

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LandSpace

Meet Dai Zheng, the space veteran betting on China’s reusable rocket revolution

LandSpace’s rocket booster recovery has supercharged the country’s commercial space ambitions – and validated a former state engineer’s start-up gamble.

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US-China relations

Opinion | China’s view of Trump’s America has changed from alarm to a shrug

Erratic and transactional, the US leader’s approach exposes domestic governance flaws and the limits of Washington’s containment strategy.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong science and tech

Hong Kong-built greenhouse gas tracker device ‘functioning well’ on space station

Tech minister Sun Dong says Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory has ‘successfully captured images with good clarity’.

The Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, developed by HKUST and funded by the city government, has been deployed to China’s Tiangong space station. Photo: Handout
China’s private sector

China clears Geely for landmark satellite test to spur commercial space drive

Geespace secures a two-year satellite IoT trial from MIIT, the first approval for a private Chinese firm.

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SpaceX

Editorial | As the space race heats up, China’s momentum is undeniable

LandSpace’s successful recovery of the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket is a milestone that underlines China’s aerospace ambitions.

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US-China tech war

SpaceSail’s record funding fuels China’s satellite challenge to Musk’s Starlink

Company pairs landmark capital with rapid satellite deployment and overseas expansion as China’s private aerospace sector breaks new ground.

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SpaceSail operates China’s Qianfan constellation. Photo: Handout
Science

China joins Musk’s SpaceX with reusable rocket breakthroughs

LandSpace’s success in landing a rocket, following CASC’s achievement last month, may help launch space missions more cheaply and more frequently.

Science

China becomes first to recover orbital launch rockets with 2 distinct paths

Zhuque-3 reaches orbit and has its first stage recovered, pulling off a dual-track strategy even the US has yet to execute.

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Mainland China

Opinion | Where does China’s fourth rocket failure in 2026 leave its busy space schedule?

Does Beijing have time to fully investigate the year’s fourth rocket failure or will launch schedules force rapid returns to service?

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The Long March-7A rocket exploding less than 90 seconds into its flight on August 10, after launching from the Wenchang Space Launch Site. China has launched the 7A thrice in seven weeks, after a five-month stand-down due to failure investigations. Photo: Handout
Trending in China

Ex-factory worker and engineer to make history as one of China’s first space passengers

When asked why she desires to travel to space at the age of 73, Huang simply stated that she just wants ‘to take a look’.

A self-made engineer who began her career on the factory floor, Huang Xiaochi will become one of China’s first commercial space tourists when she flies on a suborbital mission in 2028. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/QQ.com
China's military weapons

China’s latest rocket failure prompts questions about ambitious launch schedule

Long March-7A explodes less than 90 seconds into flight, delaying ChinaSat-4B satellite installation and possibly affecting other programmes.

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US-China relations

Crawfish soup on Mars? US Senate hears worries over China’s scientific ambitions

Republicans point to Beijing’s rising research spending, while Democrats warn Trump’s funding cuts could erode America’s ability to compete.

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Space

Editorial | With its innovative rocket recovery, China makes strides in the space race

Beijing’s breakthrough is likely to advance its ambitions in the cosmos and enhance global connectivity and economic growth.

The returning first stage of the Long March-10B carrier rocket was successfully captured on a seaborne recovery platform. Photo: Xinhua
Aerospace: Geopolitics

How is China hunting hidden space rocks that could ‘devastate a small country’?

Beijing will use ground telescopes and orbital satellites to track dangerous space rocks that currently go undetected.

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While scientists believe the vast majority of near-Earth asteroids over 1km wide have been detected, most space rocks under 140 metres wide are yet to be spotted, but could cause catastrophic damage if they hit Earth. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

China used a giant net to land a reusable rocket. Does the idea have legs?

It’s an unconventional approach that has sparked debate over how it stacks up against America’s landing-leg system.

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China’s private sector

One giant leap for the state: how China’s aerospace model differs from SpaceX

Friday’s retrieval of a rocket booster made China the second nation to master the precision recovery of an orbital-class rocket component.

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