China Is Trying to Rival Elon Musk in Space (original) (raw)

From electric cars to civilian drones to solar panels, Chinese companies have rapidly emerged as global leaders in advanced industries that the government considers critical. There’s one area, though, where the nation has fallen flat. More than a decade after President Xi Jinping instituted reforms to jump-start Chinese space startups, the country’s rocket and satellite makers are nowhere near to matching the world’s premier company, SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s company operates more than 6,000 Starlink satellites, providing broadband access from Argentina to Zimbabwe, while Chinese companies have only a few dozen. SpaceX is the pioneer in reusing parts of its rockets, enabling the company to slash its costs, and is now testing the much larger reusable Starship rocket. Chinese companies rely on single-use ones with older technology.