1. Guangzhou Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. (decoding Guangzhou Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd., the first mixed-ownership commercial aerospace enterprise in China)
China Aerospace was established in December 2018, relying on the Institute of Mechanics and the Aerospace Science and Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its founder Yang Yiqiang was the first commander-in-chief of the “Long March 11” rocket. Zhongke Aerospace has three subsidiaries. Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. is mainly responsible for the industrial chain and quality control; Zhongke Aerospace (Guangzhou) Equipment Industry Co., Ltd. is mainly responsible for the specific operation of Zhongke Aerospace Flight Technology Industrialization Base; Xi’an Zhongke Aerospace Power Technology Co., Ltd. is mainly responsible for the development of liquid engines. The company’s current main rocket is the Lijian-1 launch vehicle. Lijian-1 is a solid launch vehicle developed by the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and participated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Institute and the Guangdong Institute of Aerospace Science and Technology. 2. Oriental Space (Shandong) Technology Co., Ltd. (the biggest dark horse in commercial aerospace in 2024 | Decoding Oriental Space (Shandong) Technology Co., Ltd.)
Oriental Space was established in 2020. The company’s main products include “Gravity” series launch vehicles, “Force” series rocket engines, and “Hongli” series aerospace information equipment. At 13:30 on January 11, 2024, the Gravity-1 rocket successfully entered orbit after its first launch. Eastern Space became the tenth private company in the world and the fifth in China to achieve a rocket into orbit. Oriental Space has a relatively complete industrial chain layout. Beijing serves as the rocket R&D center, electronic information test center, and comprehensive simulation test center; Xi’an serves as the engine R&D center; Wuxi serves as the power headquarters; and Yantai serves as the company headquarters and rocket AIT center (Oriental Spaceport Sea Launch Center). The company’s launch vehicle products mainly include Gravity-1, Gravity-2, and Gravity-3 launch vehicles. Gravity-1 is the world’s first all-solid strap-on medium-sized launch vehicle. Gravity 2 is a medium-to-large liquid launch vehicle whose core first stage can be recycled and reused. Gravity 3 adopts a CBC configuration of liquid core stage + liquid boost, which can achieve recycling and reuse.
3. Jiangsu Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. (Taking a new approach, focusing on the research and development of recyclable rockets | Decoding Jiangsu Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd.)
Jiangsu Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. was established in 2016. It is a commercial aerospace enterprise with the core business of launch vehicle research and development, production and commercial launch services. Headquartered in Nantong, Jiangsu, Yizhuang, Beijing serves as the rocket technology and liquid engine R&D center; Jinan, Shandong serves as the rocket power testing base. Since its establishment, Deep Blue Aerospace has been focusing on the development of liquid recyclable launch vehicles. The founder Huo Liang once worked at the Second Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry (Air Defense Missile Design Department) as the chief designer. Deep Blue Aerospace currently has two main launch vehicles, namely the “Nebula-1” liquid recyclable launch vehicle and the “Nebula-2” liquid recyclable launch vehicle.
4. Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (led by Changliu Deputy Chief Engineer, incubated by NPU, how is this company different | Decoding Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd.)
Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. was established in March 2021. It is an incubator of Northwestern Polytechnical University. It focuses on the development of reusable liquid launch vehicle engines and commercial launch vehicles. Its products cover rocket engines and commercial launch vehicles of different tonnages. The founder of the company, Liu Hongjun, was the chief engineer of the liquid rocket engine series of the Sixth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group and the deputy chief engineer of the Long March 6 launch vehicle. Tianhui Aerospace’s industrial layout is “one center and two bases”. The first center (Xi’an) is a liquid rocket engine and launch vehicle R&D center. Mianyang is an engine batch production and testing base, building a rocket engine factory with a construction area of about 32,000 square meters, and simultaneously building an engine test bed covering an area of 50 acres. The launch vehicle manufacturing and testing base is tentatively located in Wenchang, Hainan. Tianhui Aerospace mainly has two launch vehicles, namely Huilong-1 and Huilong-2.
