China Planning to Build its Own Version of SpaceX's Starship
Matilda
China Planning to Build its Own Version of SpaceX's Starship
China's burgeoning space program is taking a significant leap forward with the development of its next-generation heavy-lift rocket, the Long March 9. This ambitious project, inspired by SpaceX's innovative Starship, aims to propel China to the forefront of space exploration. The Long March 9: A Megarocket in the Making Unveiled at the 15th China Air Show in Zhuhai, the Long March 9 is designed to be a versatile workhorse capable of launching massive payloads into orbit, including crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. The rocket will come in at least three configurations, with one of them being fully reusable, a feature that has revolutionized spaceflight with SpaceX's Starship. Key Similarities to SpaceX's Starship The parallels between the Long March 9 and Starship are striking. Both rockets are designed to be massive, powerful, and reusable. The Long March 9's upper stage, for instance, incorporates maneuver-enhancing flaps in a similar configuration to Starship'…
