1. The Thousand Sails Constellation has two false starts.<\/p>\n
On February 5, 2025, Yuanxin Satellite issued a bidding announcement for the “Qianfan Constellation 2025 Launch Service Project”. It planned to purchase nine rocket launch services with one rocket and 18 satellites, but it failed because there were less than three registered suppliers. On February 11, Yuanxin Satellite invited bids again, but still failed with less than three registered suppliers.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
The Qianfan Constellation tender requires rockets that can carry 18 satellites in one rocket, have a transport capacity of not less than 4.5 tons in an 800-kilometer near-polar orbit, and have a successful flight record. Currently, the only rockets currently in service in China that meet the requirements are the Long March 6A of the Eighth Aerospace Academy and the Long March 8 of the First Aerospace Academy.<\/p>\n
The two mishaps of the Thousand Sails Constellation reflect our country\u2019s<\/p>\n
The embarrassing situation of insufficient commercial rocket capacity. At present, the capacity of China’s more mature commercial rockets such as Ceres 1 and Lijian 1 cannot meet the launch requirements of the Thousand Sails Constellation, while recyclable rockets are still in the experimental stage and have not yet been recycled into orbit. It is currently clear that the recyclable rockets that will fly for the first time in 2025 include the national team’s Long March 12 recyclable configuration, commercial aerospace’s Suzaku 3, Tianlong 3, Nebula 1, Hyperbola 3, Lijian 2, etc. In 2025, many large-scale constellations in our country will begin to quickly establish networks. However, insufficient rocket capacity greatly limits the speed of networking. It can be said that the development of my country’s commercial aerospace industry depends to a large extent on whether various rocket companies can break through technical bottlenecks and develop high-frequency launch capabilities.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Qianfan Constellation\u2019s two tenders and failure announcement. Source: Screenshot of the China Tendering and Tendering Public Service Platform website)<\/p>\n
2. The Yuanxingzhe-1 verification rocket will undergo a sea recovery test<\/p>\n
On February 20, 2025, Arrow Technology announced that it will conduct a sea recovery test of the Yuanxingzhe 1 verification rocket. It plans to complete tasks such as engine shutdown and secondary startup at high altitude, and the entire rocket will hover on the sea surface to verify soft landing recovery at sea.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
This recycling test is<\/p>\n
our country<\/p>\n
The first 4.2-meter full-scale stainless steel rocket soft landing recovery test at sea<\/p>\n
, verifying the rocket\u2019s recovery capabilities in complex ocean environments. High-altitude shutdown and secondary startup are the core technologies of rocket “orbit + recovery”. If successfully completed, it will accelerate the development process of Jianyuan Technology’s reusable rocket and reduce the cost of rocket launch.<\/p>\n
(picture:<\/p>\n
Yuanxingzhe 1 verification rocket Source: Arrow Technology<\/p>\n
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3. “Nebula-1” rocket makes its first flight in the second quarter<\/p>\n
The liquid oxygen kerosene engine independently developed by Deep Blue Aerospace for reusable rockets has now entered the high-frequency normalization test phase. The first batch of products will be assembled on the “Nebula-1” reusable launch vehicle. The rocket will perform its first orbital launch and vertical recovery verification in the second quarter of this year.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
deep<\/p>\n
Blue Air<\/p>\n
Tianjin\u2019s self-developed liquid oxygen kerosene engine enters high frequency<\/p>\n
normal<\/p>\n
Test run verified<\/p>\n
its reliability<\/p>\n
, laying the foundation for subsequent recycling and reuse. In October 2024, Deep Blue Aerospace conducted a high-altitude vertical take-off and landing recovery test. However, unfortunately, an abnormality occurred in the landing shutdown section, resulting in partial damage to the rocket body. Deep Blue Aerospace may not be able to withstand such a failure a second time.<\/p>\n
If “Nebula One” is launched in the second quarter<\/p>\n
“With the successful orbit recovery, Deep Blue Aerospace will have a much easier time seizing the commercial launch market in the future.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Engine test run Source: Deep Blue Aerospace)<\/p>\n
4. The National Space Administration held a commercial aerospace safety warning education meeting<\/p>\n
On February 14, the National Space Administration held a commercial aerospace safety warning education and a publicity and implementation meeting on strengthening safety supervision throughout the chain. The meeting aimed to learn lessons, use cases as lessons, improve corporate safety awareness, implement the main responsibilities of enterprises and the commercial aerospace supervision responsibilities of governments at all levels, and promote the orderly development of commercial aerospace safety regulations.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
2025 is the year when my country\u2019s commercial aerospace industry explodes. A number of recyclable rockets have made their first flights, satellite Internet networking has accelerated, and commercial aerospace has moved from \u201ctechnical verification\u201d to \u201clarge-scale commercial use.\u201d However, we must not forget the bottom line of safety when running fast.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Tianlong-3<\/p>\n
Source: Tianbing Technology official website<\/p>\n
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5. 51.936 billion yuan! promote<\/p>\n
Commercial aerospace cluster development in Chengdu<\/p>\n
On February 21, 2025, the centralized signing and on-site promotion activities for major projects of Chengdu\u2019s low-altitude economy and commercial aerospace industry cluster were successfully held. This event focused on the construction of low-altitude economy and commercial aerospace industry clusters, with 47 major projects signed, with a total agreed investment of 51.936 billion yuan.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
In 2024, commercial aerospace will be included in the government work report for the first time, and local industries are accelerating their layout. The centralized signing of contracts in Chengdu shows that China’s commercial aerospace is shifting from “single point breakthrough” to “full industry chain layout”<\/p>\n
. Through the layout of the entire commercial aerospace industry chain and the coordination of capital and policies, the large-scale development of the entire commercial aerospace industry chain will be accelerated.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Signing site Source: Red Star News)<\/p>\n
6. Taiyi Weihang successfully completed a seed round of financing of 25 million yuan<\/p>\n
Recently, Taiyi Micro Bank announced the successful completion of a 25 million yuan seed round of financing. This round of financing was led by Yuanhe Origin and followed by Shanghai Pudong Innovation Investment Group. The funds were mainly used for the research and development of “ultra-low orbit intelligent AI satellites”.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
At the beginning of 2025, financing in the commercial aerospace field will be very active. On February 7, rocket tank manufacturer Jiutianxingge announced the completion of an A++ round of financing exceeding 100 million yuan. In addition, Taiyi Micro Bank recently completed a 2500 seed round of financing of 10,000 yuan. Both financings were participated or even led by national industry funds or state-owned capital, which shows that the policy is tilted towards commercial aerospace.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Chen Hongyu, Founder and Chairman of Taiyi Micro Travel, and Academician Guo Huadong took a group photo before the launch of the SDGSAT satellite. Source: Skyspace World)<\/p>\n
7. Hainan Commercial Development’s “Reusable Rocket Maritime Recovery System” announced the bidding results. On February 22, 2025, the bidding results of Hainan Commercial Development’s “Reusable Rocket Maritime Recovery System” have been announced, with a total investment of 805,912,478.2 million yuan.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
This tender is divided into five bidding sections, and the results of each section are as follows:<\/p>\n
\u2460”Sea recycling ship”<\/p>\n
The winning bidder is a consortium composed of “Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd. and China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s 708th Research Institute”, with a total bid price of 293 million;<\/p>\n
\u2461 “Command, Measurement and Control Ship” won the bid<\/p>\n
Fang is a consortium composed of “Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., China Ship Research and Design Center, and Hainan Out Marine Technology Co., Ltd.”, and the total winning bid price is 457.97 million;<\/p>\n
\u2462Winning the bid for “telemetry control system”<\/p>\n
Fang is a consortium composed of “The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and the Institute of Optoelectronics Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences”, and the total winning bid price is 29.778 million;<\/p>\n
\u2463 Winning the bid for “Shipborne Communication System”<\/p>\n
Fang is the Guangzhou Communications Research Institute (the Seventh Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation), and the total winning bid price is 17.4784782 million;<\/p>\n
\u2464 Won the bid for “Meteorological Measurement System”<\/p>\n
The company is Nanjing Daqiao Machinery Co., Ltd., and the total winning bid price is 7.686 million.<\/p>\n
At present, our country does not have a maritime recovery ship. Once completed and put into use, it will directly improve the efficiency and economy of rocket reuse, reduce launch costs, and lay the foundation for subsequent high-density launches.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Hainan Shangfa\u2019s first launch Source: Hainan Shangfa)<\/p>\n
8. Falcon 9\u2019s 26th recovery breaks record<\/p>\n
On February 15, 2025, Falcon 9 successfully launched 21 Starlink mini-satellites into orbit. This launch was also the 26th reuse flight of the first-stage booster B1067, setting a record of 26 flights and recoveries for one rocket.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
Falcon 9\u2019s record 26 recoveries successfully surpassed<\/p>\n
The aerospace competition has been upgraded from a “single success or failure” to an “endurance race”. Not only can it be recycled and reused, but it can also be recycled and reused many times.<\/p>\n
After this battle, SpaceX can be said to have completely stepped into the center of the earth experts who once questioned the recycling and reuse of rockets.<\/p>\n
Domestic recyclable rockets need to work harder!<\/p>\n
(Picture: Falcon 9\u2019s 26th recovery. Source: SpaceX official website)<\/p>\n
9. SpaceX achieves rocket recovery in Bahamas waters for the first time<\/p>\n
On February 19, Beijing time, Falcon 9 successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites. After the inter-stage separation, the first-stage booster B1062 was successfully recovered. This was the first time that SpaceX achieved rocket recovery in the waters near the Bahamas. It was also the 16th flight of the first-stage booster B1062.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
This is the first time in the world that a rocket was launched from one country and recovered in another country. Thanks to the recently signed agreement between SpaceX and the Bahamas, rockets are allowed to land in the Bahamas. Coupled with the stable sea conditions in the Bahamas in winter, SpaceX\u2019s launch efficiency and recovery convenience are further improved.<\/p>\n
The southeastern trajectory of this launch allows Falcon 9 to carry more satellites and maximize rocket performance. The capacity of polar orbit manned missions (such as “Fram2”) has also been improved. In addition, the 16th reuse of the first-stage booster also set a record.<\/p>\n
(Picture: B1062 successfully landed in<\/p>\n
Recovery ship in Bahamas waters Source: SpaceX official website<\/p>\n
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10. Ariane 6 rocket officially put into use<\/p>\n
French Arianespace plans to launch the French military’s CSO-3 reconnaissance satellite mission using an Ariane 6 rocket from the launch site in French Guiana on February 26. This is the first launch mission since Ariane 6\u2019s first flight in July 2024.<\/p>\n
Hello space:<\/p>\n
This launch mission marks the official entry into operation of Ariane 6. It is a key step in “stopping the bleeding” and “extending life” of European spaceflight, allowing Europe to regain its independent launch capability and get rid of the embarrassing situation of being controlled by others. However, Ariane 6 is still a one-time rocket. It is far behind SpaceX in terms of launch cost and frequency. It can only be said to be a temporary solution to the urgent need. The development of low-cost, technically mature reusable rockets still has to be put on the agenda.<\/p>\n
(Picture: Ariane 6 rocket\u2019s first flight. Source: ESA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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