China’s space agency has released a two-year action plan aimed at accelerating the growth of its commercial space sector and encouraging private companies to expand overseas and participate in international cooperation, according to a policy document issued this week.
The plan, released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Tuesday, calls on Chinese commercial space enterprises to “go global” and support developing countries in building satellite-application industries. The agency said commercial projects will be formally integrated into China’s broader international space cooperation framework.
Under the policy, commercial companies will gain wider access to national civilian infrastructure, including tracking, telemetry and control (TT&C) stations, data-receiving sites, calibration ranges and validation fields. The CNSA also said it will open access to large-scale test facilities such as rocket-engine test stands and space-environment simulation centers. Private firms will be selected through open competition to participate in national-level space programs covering advanced propulsion systems, next-generation satellite platforms, payload technologies and integrated communications, navigation and remote-sensing applications.
The agency also plans to establish a national commercial space development fund and expand government procurement to incorporate commercial launch vehicles, satellites, launch sites and TT&C facilities into state-backed missions. Local governments are being encouraged to set up technology innovation centers focused on reusable rockets and intelligent satellites, as well as open platforms for advanced manufacturing, final assembly and testing.
Additional support measures outlined in the plan include the construction of new commercial launch sites, the unification of space industry standards and the opening of national space-debris data to provide collision-warning services for commercial spacecraft. The CNSA also said private firms would be encouraged to explore emerging areas such as space resource utilization, on-orbit servicing, debris removal, space tourism and in-space biomanufacturing.
The plan targets “high-quality development” of China’s commercial space industry by 2027. The aerospace sector was also listed as a strategic emerging industry in China’s draft recommendations for its 15th Five-Year Plan, covering the period from 2026 to 2030, underscoring Beijing’s long-term policy backing for the sector.
