Do you know how many rocket companies there are in China?
Judging from the new commercial forces of sprinting into orbit and reuse technology, the engineering capabilities of rocket companies are rapidly diversifying. Which companies are really entering the competition for launch capabilities? Where is the most competitive range in the industry?
Today, Nihao Space will use a set of core data to show you the true number of Chinese rocket companies in 2026, as well as the structural changes behind it.
01
How many rocket companies are there in China?
As of April 2026, Nihao Space statistics show that there are 50 rocket companies in China, of which 39 are still advancing the development of launch vehicles.
The remaining 11 companies have experienced transformation, stagnation or no public progress.
(Note: This statistics only counts companies with overall launch vehicle design and development capabilities, excluding suborbital rocket companies, hypersonic vehicle companies and national team research institutes.)
Judging from the time of establishment, these 50 rocket companies show obvious stage characteristics:
Before 2015: there were only 2 companies (accounting for 4%), and commercial aerospace has not yet been liberalized;
2015-2023: 24 companies were established (accounting for 48%), the start-up period of commercial aerospace;
2024 to present: 24 companies have been established (accounting for 48%), entering a new round of entrepreneurial concentration period.
It can be seen that the growth of Chinese rocket companies has been mainly concentrated in the past two years.
A key change: Rocket Company is not becoming more numerous, but being re-visited.
Compared with the same period in 2025, this number looks to have increased significantly. Hello Space’s 2025 statistics: How many commercial rocket companies are there in China? There are 35 rocket companies, of which only 23 are still advancing the development of launch vehicles; and in 2026, this number will rise to 39.
But it needs to be emphasized that this does not necessarily mean that the industry has added a large number of new companies in one year. The more important reason is that the statistical caliber is more complete, and more early-stage and low-exposure companies are brought into view.
In other words, Rocket Company did not suddenly increase in number, but was systematically “seen” for the first time.
02
Panorama of industry landscape
Chinese commercial rocket companies are no longer on the same starting line, but have a hierarchical industry structure. Judging from the current 39 companies that are still promoting the development of launch vehicles, they can be roughly divided into four stages: 1. Already in orbit/commercial launch stage (8 companies) This type of company is the real main force in the industry. It has completed orbit verification and entered the commercial launch or batch order stage. It has continuous delivery capabilities and is the core source of China’s current commercial launch capabilities. Including: China Rockets, China Science and Technology Aerospace, Blue Arrow Aerospace, Galaxy Power, Tianbing Technology, Science and Technology Rockets, Interstellar Glory, and Eastern Space. 2. First flight sprint stage (11 companies) This level is currently the most crowded and competitive area in the industry. The company has basically completed the overall program design and key technology research, and has entered the stage of complete rocket manufacturing, testing or first flight preparation, and has a clear first flight planning window (mainly concentrated in 2026-2027). Including: China Commercial Fire, Deep Blue Aerospace, Arrow Technology, Space Zhihang, Dahang Leap, Yushi Space, Spark Spacetime, Aerospace Rocket, Jiangsu Zhilin, Qianyi Aerospace, and Xiandeng Aerospace. 3. Technology verification stage (9 companies) This type of enterprise has begun verification of key technologies such as engines, structures, and control systems, but has not yet entered the entire rocket engineering stage. Including: Yulong Aerospace, Star Line, Aerospace Yilong, New Space Aerospace, Huosheng Aerospace, Spark Space, Star Shuttle Technology, Shiguang Qihang, and Zhiyu Aerospace. 4. Scheme design stage (11 companies) are in the stage of overall scheme demonstration and technical route exploration, and have not yet completed system verification or entered the engineering development process. Including: Zero One Space, Xinghan Aerospace, Yuchen Exploration, Yufeng Tunan, Longyuan Space, Pilot Star Arrow, Yulian Zhihang, Xuanwu Aerospace, Jianqi Technology, Western Aerospace Technology, and Qingxingjian. In addition, there are 11 companies in the industry that have no public information, have transformed, stagnated, or withdrawn from the rocket development track, including: Liji Space, Lingke Aerospace, Tianqing Aerospace, Aerospace Engine, Enterprising Space, Rocket Pai, Taihan Aerospace, Huayi Hongda, Beiyang Star, Star Arrow Sky, and Silver Track.
03
A variable that cannot be ignored: the national team
This article mainly focuses on commercial rocket companies, but in China’s space launch system, the national team still occupies a core position. At present, the overall rocket development is mainly undertaken by the First and Eighth Institutes of Aerospace Science and Technology. Taking 2025 as an example, China has completed a total of 92 rocket launch missions throughout the year, of which: the first hospital has completed 34 times (accounting for about 37%), and the eighth hospital has completed 29 times (accounting for about 32%). The total of the two is close to 70%.
It can be seen that at this stage, the national team is still the basis of China’s space launch capabilities. However, the focus of this article is on the structural changes of commercial rocket companies, so no analysis will be carried out.
04
Geographical distribution: Beijing is still the absolute center
Judging from the registration places of the 39 companies that are still promoting the development of launch vehicles, Chinese rocket companies show obvious regional agglomeration characteristics: Beijing: 16 (accounting for about 41%) Shanghai: 5 Guangdong and Jiangsu: 3 each Shandong and Sichuan: 2 each Other (Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Chongqing): 1 each Beijing is still the core gathering place for China’s commercial rockets. Its advantages mainly come from: the most centralized aerospace scientific research system, the most intensive overall rocket talent, and the most complete technical resources. It is worth noting that among the 21 newly established companies since 2024, 8 have chosen to settle in Beijing, further strengthening this trend.
Other provinces and cities are also attracting more rocket companies based on their own resource endowments and industrial policies. The industry is spreading from “single center” to “multiple nodes”, but in the short term, Beijing’s core position will still be difficult to shake.
05
Real changes in the industry
Overall, China’s commercial rocket industry is entering a period of structural differentiation from a period of quantitative expansion. Three key changes are taking place: 1. The head structure is gradually finalized. Orbit and commercial launch capabilities have become the core threshold of the industry. First-tier companies are gradually forming a stable competitive landscape and becoming the main provider of launch capabilities. 2. The most densely populated companies are on the eve of the first flight. Currently, the largest number of companies are companies that are in the sprint for the first flight. The focus of competition at this stage is on the competition between engineering capabilities and first flight fulfillment capabilities. 3. The tail will not disappear, but it will not determine the industry. Companies in the technology verification and solution stages will still exist for a long time, but their impact on the industry structure will be limited. They represent more technical reserves, route exploration and industrial potential.
06
Does China need so many rocket companies?
When the number of rocket companies reaches 50, a question becomes unavoidable: Does China really need so many rocket companies?
1. From the demand side, “more” at this stage is reasonable. China’s commercial aerospace industry is sprinting towards high-frequency launches, and launch demand is also moving toward long-term stability. On the one hand, giant low-orbit constellations represented by the GW State Grid Constellation and Qianfan Constellation have entered the stage of intensive networking; on the other hand, new scenarios such as space travel, remote sensing applications, space infrastructure, and on-orbit services continue to expand, further pushing up the upper limit of the launch market.
Therefore, at this stage, it is a normal phenomenon for more companies to enter the track and explore different technical paths.
2. From the supply side, the real competition has not yet begun. At present, the companies that have truly stably obtained commercial launch orders are still concentrated in a few companies. At the same time, most rockets are still single-use, mainly small and medium-sized rockets, and the cost structure cannot support future high-frequency launches. And the real wild card in the industry, reusable rockets, is still in its early stages. Long March 10B, Zhuque 3, Lijian 2, Tianlong 3, etc. are advancing their first flight and recovery verification, but have not yet completed the verification of stable recovery capabilities at the orbit level. 3. Reusability will be a key turning point for the industry. Future competition will depend on who can take the lead in completing the recovery verification of reusable rockets, who can truly reduce costs, and who can truly support high-frequency launches. 4. The rocket industry is bound to be highly concentrated. The global space launch industry has a common rule: it is naturally highly concentrated. In the international market, there are only a handful of commercial rocket companies with truly stable launch capabilities. The Chinese market is larger and the demand is more diversified. Rocket companies that can eventually achieve a stable business closed loop will still be concentrated among a few leading players, no more than 10.
Conclusion
China’s commercial rocket industry is experiencing a typical pre-boom period.
There are many companies and many routes, but the variables that really determine the outcome have not yet been fully implemented.
At this stage, quantity itself is not important, but who first crosses the threshold of large capacity and reusability is important.
