https://www.scmp.com/rss/275856/feed Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) designs, manufactures and launches the world's most advanced rockets and spacecraft. Based in California, it was founded in 2002 by former PayPal entrepreneur Elon Musk with the aim of revolutionising space transportation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yogi Putranto Yogi Putranto For decades, Asia’s ambitions in outer space were closely associated with scientific discovery, technological prestige and national symbolism. Space programmes were designed to demonstrate engineering capability, economic modernisation and geopolitical influence. Today, outer space is undergoing a deeper transformation. It is no longer viewed merely as a frontier for exploration; increasingly, it is seen as a strategic domain tied to sovereignty, economic security and geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354897/asias-newspace-economy-about-more-just-exploration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354897/asias-newspace-economy-about-more-just-exploration?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 01:30:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The richest man in the world is about to launch the largest stock debut in history. That fact alone about Elon Musk’s filing in the United States for an initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX is significant enough. The flotation is expected to raise at least US$75 billion at a whopping valuation of around US$1.8 trillion for the company. If nothing else, the IPO is about to knock Hong Kong off the top spot for raising capital through listings after the city reclaimed the crown last year... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3355516/spacex-ipo-lift-could-test-global-equity-bull-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3355516/spacex-ipo-lift-could-test-global-equity-bull-run?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Bryan Luk,Leonard Luk Bryan Luk,Leonard Luk The excitement around SpaceX, fuelled by the targeted US$1.8 trillion valuation for its initial public offering and its promising Starship rocket development, has revived a familiar claim: that SpaceX is on course to dominate the space market. Commercially, that view is understandable. SpaceX conducts more space launches than anyone and at very competitive costs, its Starlink satellite internet company provides strong in-house demand, and it has a scale advantage unmatched by any other private... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355072/spacex-global-dominance-may-not-be-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355072/spacex-global-dominance-may-not-be-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Enoch Yiu,Themis Qi Enoch Yiu,Themis Qi Stepping into the former trading hall in Exchange Square on Thursday was like walking through a doorway into the 1980s. Brokers, wearing the iconic red jackets of the period, stood alongside Cathay Pacific Airways flight attendants in retro uniforms, evoking memories of the hall before its closure. The special gong-striking ceremony in Central marked the 40th anniversary of the merger of Hong Kong’s four stock exchanges into the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK). Cathay was the first company to... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3355336/chip-boom-powers-hong-kong-stock-exchange-40-innovation-resilience-set-next-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3355336/chip-boom-powers-hong-kong-stock-exchange-40-innovation-resilience-set-next-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2026 02:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Concerns mount in China’s space sector that Musk’s Starship will be a failure There are growing doubts within China’s space sector that Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket being developed by SpaceX in the United States, will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3355241/china-doubts-musks-starship-future-ex-tsmc-chip-prodigy-returns-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3355241/china-doubts-musks-starship-future-ex-tsmc-chip-prodigy-returns-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 04:34:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters An uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a Florida launch pad during a test on Thursday, in a major setback for Jeff Bezos’ space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s IPO-bound SpaceX. Video posted by NASASpaceflight, which live-streams launches from Florida, showed the towering New Glenn rocket igniting on the pad before erupting into a massive fireball that billowed skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air. Blue Origin was preparing the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355248/blue-origin-rocket-explodes-launch-pad-during-hotfire-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355248/blue-origin-rocket-explodes-launch-pad-during-hotfire-test?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 03:02:44 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Global investors’ appetite for Chinese equities, companies and assets continues to rise owing to rapid technological advancements and low valuations in the world’s second-largest economy, according to JPMorgan Chase. Kwang Kam Shing, Hong Kong CEO and chair for North Asia at the biggest US bank, said that there remained significant potential for growth in foreign investment across Hong Kong and mainland China, as investors continued to demonstrate strong interest in uncovering new opportunities,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3355074/appeal-china-assets-keeps-rising-among-global-investors-jpmorgan-research-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3355074/appeal-china-assets-keeps-rising-among-global-investors-jpmorgan-research-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A partnership between Japan Airlines and a space start-up marks the first step for the carrier to explore diversification beyond Earth-bound aviation, potentially boosting Japan’s ambition to expand its footprint on the moon. The airline is teaming up with ispace to transport items of “precious cultural heritage and human activities” via a lander craft to the moon and protect them from the effects of climate change, natural disasters and conflict on Earth. “In the rapidly changing world, there... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3355068/japan-airlines-wants-blast-human-culture-space-and-land-it-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3355068/japan-airlines-wants-blast-human-culture-space-and-land-it-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 01:30:10 +0000 dpa dpa US space agency Nasa has unveiled far-reaching plans for its first moon base that could see people living and working on the lunar surface within six years. Located at the moon’s south pole, the outpost, which eventually may have sites spread out over hundreds of square kilometres, would be established in a phased approach, which builds capability over time. The pioneering development was designed to help unlock new scientific discoveries and develop the technologies needed for future deep space... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354960/nasa-lays-out-moon-base-plans-landers-buggies-and-drones-top-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354960/nasa-lays-out-moon-base-plans-landers-buggies-and-drones-top-list?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 23:46:19 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik As the race to send humans back to the moon heats up, China has been fine-tuning its plans. On Saturday – the day after the US company SpaceX successfully launched its largest and most powerful Starship – the China Manned Space Agency unveiled further details about its plans to integrate its crewed and uncrewed lunar landing programmes into a single mission. The purpose was “to fully leverage the technical foundations and practical experience accumulated over decades through crewed space... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354681/china-merges-lunar-programmes-race-moon-us-heats-after-latest-spacex-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354681/china-merges-lunar-programmes-race-moon-us-heats-after-latest-spacex-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 16:00:06 +0000 Zhang Shidong,Themis Qi Zhang Shidong,Themis Qi Hong Kong investors gearing up for SpaceX’s US$75 billion initial public offering (IPO) on Wall Street could find a variety of ways to gain exposure to what is expected to be the world’s biggest-ever stock flotation. Local stock traders could subscribe to the IPO through brokerages offering service access to US stocks, such as Futu Securities International and Tiger Brokers. While this would be the most direct way of taking part in SpaceX’s offering, it requires a higher asset threshold and is... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354518/how-hong-kongs-investors-can-gain-exposure-spacexs-record-breaking-us75-billion-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354518/how-hong-kongs-investors-can-gain-exposure-spacexs-record-breaking-us75-billion-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 02:30:05 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren A liquidity drain caused by SpaceX’s gargantuan US share sale is unlikely to ripple into regional markets, including Hong Kong, thanks to global investors’ push to diversify and their growing interest in future profit stars, according to JPMorgan. Hong Kong could still aim for the runner-up position in fundraising this year despite potentially giving up the global initial public offering (IPO) crown to New York, said Paul Uren, the US bank’s Asia-Pacific investment banking head, on... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354467/liquidity-drain-spacexs-mega-listing-unlikely-ripple-hong-kong-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354467/liquidity-drain-spacexs-mega-listing-unlikely-ripple-hong-kong-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen In 1957, the Soviet Union kicked off the Cold War’s space race, shocking the world by sending Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, into orbit. Four years later, it did the same to cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, making him the first human in space. In 1969, the US provided another image that defined the era: Neil Armstrong leaving the Eagle lunar lander and planting the American flag on the moon, declaring it “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” For the two superpowers, the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3354516/cloud-above-clouds-us-china-race-make-space-computing-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3354516/cloud-above-clouds-us-china-race-make-space-computing-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that Nasa is counting on to land astronauts on the moon. The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he was taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites for release halfway around the world. It is the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354595/spacex-launches-its-biggest-most-beefed-starship-yet-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354595/spacex-launches-its-biggest-most-beefed-starship-yet-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 23:39:28 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Global initial public offering (IPO) markets are hunkering down ahead of SpaceX’s US$75 billion flotation, as billionaire Elon Musk’s commercial aerospace unit is set to siphon off capital and tighten liquidity amid rising expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to curb inflation. With investor demand expected to be overwhelming, the offering on Wall Street could be the world’s biggest-ever, exceeding Saudi Aramco’s US$29.4 billion in 2019. SpaceX’s IPO would already be... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354382/spacexs-whopping-us75-billion-ipo-sparks-liquidity-fears-fed-rate-increase-odds-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354382/spacexs-whopping-us75-billion-ipo-sparks-liquidity-fears-fed-rate-increase-odds-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Enoch Yiu,Daniel Ren Enoch Yiu,Daniel Ren Hong Kong is expected to remain among the top three initial public offering (IPO) markets worldwide this year, even though it will soon be dethroned by the US Nasdaq, which will host SpaceX’s jumbo flotation. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing’s (HKEX) main board is poised to lose its crown as the world’s largest market for IPOs when billionaire Elon Musk’s commercial aerospace unit is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, according to the prospectus filed by SpaceX in New York on Wednesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3354406/hong-kong-set-be-ousted-nasdaq-worlds-biggest-ipo-market-still-top-3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3354406/hong-kong-set-be-ousted-nasdaq-worlds-biggest-ipo-market-still-top-3?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 13:00:15 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Shares of Chinese aviation and aerospace parts supplier Shanghai Top Numerical Control Technology ended 80 per cent higher on its debut in Hong Kong on Wednesday, as investors continue to bet on the commercial aerospace sector. Top Numerical Control opened at HK$37 per share on its first day of trading, representing a 40.2 per cent premium to the offer price of HK$26.39. It reached as high as HK$48.40 in afternoon trade, before closing at HK$47.50. The Shanghai-based company issued 65.33 million... https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/ipo-quote-profile/article/3354227/chinas-top-numerical-control-rides-investor-fervour-aerospace-80-ipo-gain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/ipo-quote-profile/article/3354227/chinas-top-numerical-control-rides-investor-fervour-aerospace-80-ipo-gain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 08:34:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters A ⁠US jury on Monday ruled against Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI, finding the artificial intelligence company not liable to the world’s richest person for having allegedly strayed from its original mission to benefit humanity. In a unanimous verdict, the jury in Oakland, California, federal court said Musk brought his case too late. The jury deliberated less than two hours. The three-week trial had widely been seen as a critical moment for the future of OpenAI and artificial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354020/jury-rules-against-elon-musk-his-feud-openai-saying-he-filed-his-lawsuit-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354020/jury-rules-against-elon-musk-his-feud-openai-saying-he-filed-his-lawsuit-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 18:19:44 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao US President Donald Trump invested millions of dollars in Apple and Nvidia in the first quarter, according to financial disclosures released as he was wrapping up his first state visit to China since 2017. According to a filing disclosed by the US Office of Government Ethics on Thursday, Trump increased investment in Apple and Nvidia, whose CEOs were part of the president’s high-profile business delegation to Beijing this week, during the first three months of 2026. In the first quarter, the US... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353752/trump-poured-millions-nvidia-apple-first-quarter-ethics-filing-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353752/trump-poured-millions-nvidia-apple-first-quarter-ethics-filing-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:30:57 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li Shortly after US President Donald Trump departed Beijing, China’s ruling Communist Party has called for strengthening the real economy – particularly manufacturing – to gain a competitive edge in the global economy. An article in Qiushi, set to be published on Saturday, curated selections from past speeches by President Xi Jinping to reiterate “our economy was built on the real economy and it must continue to rely on it for the future,” state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. “At... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353732/after-trump-visit-chinas-top-party-journal-doubles-down-manufacturing-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353732/after-trump-visit-chinas-top-party-journal-doubles-down-manufacturing-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 10:59:50 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Zhou Qunfei, the woman at the helm of manufacturing giant Lens Technology, found herself seated in a favourable position at the state banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping for US President Donald Trump on Thursday night, placed between two of her most important clients, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk. Several Chinese business leaders attended the banquet alongside US executives and officials, including Hisense chairman Jia Shaoqian, Wanxiang Group chairman Lu Weiding,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353657/meet-zhou-qunfei-woman-seated-between-tim-cook-and-elon-musk-china-state-banquet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353657/meet-zhou-qunfei-woman-seated-between-tim-cook-and-elon-musk-china-state-banquet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 05:09:31 +0000 Josh Sims Josh Sims For many would-be intergalactic tourists, space isn’t the final frontier – Earth is. Frankly, space tourism has, to date, been the preserve of pop stars and the billionaire class, and that’s even with the likes of Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX expanding access to space as never before. But what if there was a more affordable way of getting to space – or, at least, to the very edge of it? That’s the premise behind a number of companies now test-flying gigantic, football-field-sized... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3353364/how-stratospheric-balloon-flights-could-be-about-redefine-space-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3353364/how-stratospheric-balloon-flights-could-be-about-redefine-space-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu The business executives accompanying US President Donald Trump on his state visit to Beijing this week are the wealthiest such delegation to visit China – holding a combined personal net worth of over US$1 trillion – an indication of continued interest in the country’s lucrative market despite strained bilateral ties. With Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s last-minute addition to the delegation, 17 executives from the technology, finance, aerospace and semiconductor sectors have joined Trump, who landed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353490/trumps-trillion-dollar-business-delegation-looking-make-deals-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353490/trumps-trillion-dollar-business-delegation-looking-make-deals-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 01:57:44 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Senior officials from China and the United States concluded their latest round of trade talks in Seoul after less than four hours on Wednesday, the briefest session since the two countries began holding talks last year. The seventh round of negotiations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – wrapped up just hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The officials ended the session without speaking to the media, a departure... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353424/leaving-so-soon-us-china-hold-briefest-trade-talks-yet-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353424/leaving-so-soon-us-china-hold-briefest-trade-talks-yet-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 09:09:29 +0000 Coco Feng,Karen Tian Coco Feng,Karen Tian China’s tech-heavy ChiNext Index surged to an all-time high on Wednesday, closing past the 4,000-point mark as investor optimism rose ahead of US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing. The index, which tracks tech firms listed on Shenzhen’s Nasdaq-style ChiNext board, reached 4,038.33 by market close, its highest finish on record. Other Chinese stock indexes also made strong gains, with the Shanghai Composite Index rising to its highest level since 2015. China’s stock markets have been on an... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3353390/chinese-tech-index-surges-11-year-high-investors-await-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3353390/chinese-tech-index-surges-11-year-high-investors-await-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 06:17:02 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Seoul, South Korea, hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport around noon on Wednesday Seoul time. The two officials had both paid courtesy calls to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the morning. This is the seventh round of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353224/china-us-trade-talks-kick-seoul-ahead-high-profile-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353224/china-us-trade-talks-kick-seoul-ahead-high-profile-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 03:34:15 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Ann Cao Sylvia Ma,Ann Cao When US President Donald Trump’s delegation touches down in Beijing on Wednesday night, he looks to be flanked by a cadre of corporate executives, headlined by a man seen by much of the Chinese public as the most familiar American entrepreneur of his generation: Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX chief’s presence alongside Trump for meetings with President Xi Jinping adds a distinctive commercial and personal layer to a diplomatically delicate trip. “Musk’s inclusion in Trump’s China delegation has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353293/elon-musk-joins-trumps-beijing-delegation-natural-bridge-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353293/elon-musk-joins-trumps-beijing-delegation-natural-bridge-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Elon Musk has launched a tirade against French judicial authorities currently investigating possible abuses on his X social network. France opened an inquiry in January 2025 into allegations that X, formerly known as Twitter, was used to interfere in French politics. The investigation has since widened to cover allegations of Holocaust denial, distribution of sexual deepfakes and most recently possible complicity in the distribution of images of child sexual abuse. Responding to a post on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352982/musk-uses-slurs-mock-french-prosecutors-investigating-x?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352982/musk-uses-slurs-mock-french-prosecutors-investigating-x?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 07:20:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Paris’ public prosecutor has opened ⁠a judicial ⁠investigation into Elon ⁠Musk’s X social media platform, a new step in an investigation over alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data, the prosecutor’s office said on Thursday. The latest legal development puts investigating judges in charge of the probe and follows tech billionaire Musk’s failure to appear at an April 20 summons for questioning. The public prosecutor is requesting that judges place ⁠X.AI Holdings Corp, X Corp and xAI, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352817/french-prosecutors-seek-charges-against-elon-musk-and-x-over-child-sexual-abuse-images?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352817/french-prosecutors-seek-charges-against-elon-musk-and-x-over-child-sexual-abuse-images?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 19:28:52 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang An innovator in China has successfully launched a self-developed low-cost rocket, proving the feasibility of budget space exploration to the world. In February, the 12m Shenzhen Pioneer rocket made local history in China’s remote northeastern Qinghai province, reaching a record altitude of 3,700m and setting a new regional benchmark for liquid rocket launches. Built by a five-person team led by 31-year-old Lu Yulong, the rocket took just 15 days to build in Shenzhen. Lu, a self-taught innovator... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351730/china-madman-science-believes-budget-space-travel-viable-after-low-cost-rocket-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351730/china-madman-science-believes-budget-space-travel-viable-after-low-cost-rocket-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:22 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Eight technology companies, including Google, Nvidia and SpaceX, have struck deals with the Pentagon to help the US military gain an edge on the battlefield. “These agreements accelerate the transformation towards establishing the United States military as an AI-first fighting force and will strengthen our warfighters’ ability to maintain decision superiority across all domains of warfare,” the Department of Defence said on Friday. The companies will deploy their AI technology on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3352199/us-pentagon-signs-ai-deals-google-nvidia-and-spacex-focus-lawful-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3352199/us-pentagon-signs-ai-deals-google-nvidia-and-spacex-focus-lawful-use?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 01:47:15 +0000 Fan Hou Fan Hou - https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3351791/hong-kongs-ipo-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3351791/hong-kongs-ipo-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:46:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The United States has “no defence against hypersonic weapons or cruise missiles”, a senior Pentagon official told Congress on Monday, as US President Donald Trump’s US$185 billion Golden Dome missile shield faces continued scepticism. “The Golden Dome will strengthen deterrence by denying adversaries the ability to achieve their objectives through coercion or aggression,” Marc Berkowitz, the assistant secretary of defence for missile defence and deterrence policy, told a Senate hearing on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351626/trumps-golden-dome-will-combat-chinas-hypersonic-weapons-cruise-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351626/trumps-golden-dome-will-combat-chinas-hypersonic-weapons-cruise-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:28:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters The bitter legal fight between Elon Musk ⁠and the leadingAIe firm, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, may come down ⁠to a few pages in one executive’s personal diary. “This is the only chance we have to get out from Elon,” wrote Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and a co-founder, in the autumn of 2017. “Is he the ‘glorious leader’ that I would pick?” Brockman’s diary entry is part of the thousands of pages of internal documents revealed in court since Musk, one of the original co-founders of OpenAI,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351600/elon-musks-trial-against-sam-altman-reveals-power-struggle-openai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351600/elon-musks-trial-against-sam-altman-reveals-power-struggle-openai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:12:32 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen When US special forces raided Caracas and abducted president Nicolas Maduro and his wife in early January, the Venezuelan capital was hit by widespread power outages and communication blackouts. Yet, within hours of the attacks, connectivity began to return – not from paralysed ground infrastructure, but from space. Elon Musk’s Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, activated communications services across Venezuela via its vast constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites on terminals residents... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351345/will-future-world-order-be-determined-who-controls-low-earth-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351345/will-future-world-order-be-determined-who-controls-low-earth-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Billionaire Elon Musk seems to have embraced TikTok, the world’s most popular short video site, more than two years after he said he stopped using the platform, as he felt its artificial intelligence algorithm was “probing” his mind. A verified @elonmusk handle recently posted a video on the site run by China’s ByteDance, signalling a truce – or perhaps a strategic surrender – to the platform’s massive global reach. The account features the same profile picture as Musk’s account on X, the social... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350003/probing-minds-verified-account-how-elon-musks-stance-tiktok-shifted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350003/probing-minds-verified-account-how-elon-musks-stance-tiktok-shifted?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine entered into force on Saturday, with Kyiv warning it would respond “immediately” if Russia violated it. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ceasefire on Thursday to coincide with Orthodox Easter, more than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first made the proposal. Both sides have agreed to observe it. The ceasefire is due to last for 32 hours, from 4.00pm on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349757/russia-and-ukraine-begin-32-hour-ceasefire-orthodox-easter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349757/russia-and-ukraine-begin-32-hour-ceasefire-orthodox-easter?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:25:14 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese embassy in US confirms death of semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. 2. ‘Impossible for Chinese’: Yale scientist Zhang Kai leaves US for China Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349349/chinese-embassy-confirms-wang-danhao-death-spacex-challenger-fails-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349349/chinese-embassy-confirms-wang-danhao-death-spacex-challenger-fails-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:07 +0000 Ling Xin,Victoria Bela Ling Xin,Victoria Bela China’s attempt to launch its most powerful privately developed rocket failed on Friday after the vehicle suffered a flight anomaly. The Tianlong-3 rocket is being developed in hopes of breaking a key bottleneck in the country’s roll-out of internet satellite megaconstellations to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. The Tianlong-3, built by Beijing-based start-up Space Pioneer and seen as China’s answer to the US company’s workhorse, the reusable Falcon 9, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348908/china-launches-heavyweight-rocket-challenge-spacexs-falcon-9-it-fails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348908/china-launches-heavyweight-rocket-challenge-spacexs-falcon-9-it-fails?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:04:04 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen CAS Space, a leading Chinese commercial rocket maker, has filed for a listing on Shanghai’s tech-focused Star Market, joining a growing queue of private space companies seeking capital as Beijing steps up support for the sector. Founded in 2018 and incubated by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the start-up plans to raise 4.18 billion yuan (US$600 million) to fund research and development of reusable heavy-lift rockets, spacecraft and liquid-fuel engines,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348774/countdown-starts-chinese-rocket-maker-cas-space-it-sets-course-star-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348774/countdown-starts-chinese-rocket-maker-cas-space-it-sets-course-star-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:29:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Four astronauts blasted off from ⁠Florida on Wednesday on Nasa’s Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States’ boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China. Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, topped with its Orion crew capsule, roared to life just before sunset at the agency’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying its debut crew - three US astronauts and a Canadian astronaut... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348724/historic-artemis-ii-moon-mission-lifts-amid-us-lunar-race-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348724/historic-artemis-ii-moon-mission-lifts-amid-us-lunar-race-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:41:22 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s commercial space sector has reached a cost milestone as its new rocket debuts for less than the ticket price of the latest SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle. The Kinetica-2 Y1 carrier rocket, also known as the Lijian-2 Y1, took off on its inaugural flight on Monday before delivering three satellites into orbit, including a prototype commercial cargo spacecraft and a satellite to function as a mini-orbiting space lab. The rocket developed by Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348697/chinas-commercial-rocket-now-cheaper-elon-musks-spacex-falcon-9?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348697/chinas-commercial-rocket-now-cheaper-elon-musks-spacex-falcon-9?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:20 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong has retained its top position in terms of initial public offering (IPO) funds raised in the first quarter of this year but industry experts said the city could lose its lead to the US over the full year given the number of mega IPOs expected there, from OpenAI to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. A total of 37 companies raised about US$13.26 billion on the Hong Kong stock exchange’s main board in the three months ended March 31, according to data released on Tuesday by LSEG Data and Analytics. That... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348536/hong-kong-retains-global-ipo-crown-first-quarter-faces-us-mega-listings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348536/hong-kong-retains-global-ipo-crown-first-quarter-faces-us-mega-listings?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:30:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The astronaut who prompted Nasa’s first medical evacuation earlier this year said on Friday that doctors still do not know why he suddenly fell sick at the International Space Station. Four-time space flier Mike Fincke said he was eating dinner on January 7 after prepping for a spacewalk the next day when it happened. He could not talk and remembers no pain, but his anxious crewmates jumped into action after seeing him in distress and requested help from flight surgeons on the ground. “It was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348216/us-astronaut-says-illness-cut-short-space-mission-made-him-unable-talk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348216/us-astronaut-says-illness-cut-short-space-mission-made-him-unable-talk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:51:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Scientists have used a tiny plastic “obstacle course” to test how much sperm would struggle to navigate during sex in the weightlessness of space. Some particularly resilient sperm still made it through the course, suggesting that conceiving children in space will still be possible, according to research published on Thursday. However, a bigger problem could be that the development of embryos after fertilisation was harmed by a lack of gravity, the Australian team of researchers found. With... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348051/sex-space-sperm-struggles-navigate-without-gravity-scientists-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348051/sex-space-sperm-struggles-navigate-without-gravity-scientists-find?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:45:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nasa announced on Tuesday it ⁠has cancelled plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and ⁠would instead use components from the project to build a US$20 billion base on the moon’s surface, while also planning to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars. US space agency chief Jared Isaacman, an appointee of US President Donald Trump who took charge at Nasa in December, announced an unprecedented array of changes to the Artemis moon programme that would expand humanity’s footprint in space,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347793/nasa-abandons-orbital-lunar-station-plans-moon-base-and-nuclear-spacecraft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347793/nasa-abandons-orbital-lunar-station-plans-moon-base-and-nuclear-spacecraft?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:54:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A federal jury in California found on Friday that tech titan Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders in an effort to drive down the company’s share price as he was poised to buy it in a US$44 billion deal. The verdict in a class action securities lawsuit means the world’s richest person could be ordered to pay out as much as US$2.6 billion, according to damages calculated by jurors. Giuseppe Pampena filed the suit against Musk on behalf of people who sold Twitter shares between mid-May of 2022 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347400/elon-musk-misled-twitter-shareholders-us-jury-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347400/elon-musk-misled-twitter-shareholders-us-jury-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:51:38 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off his first tour of China this year on Wednesday, while the iPhone maker’s chief operating officer visited key suppliers, including Foxconn and Sunwoda, in a sign of the company’s continued focus on the country’s huge market and manufacturing ecosystem. Cook turned up at an Apple Store in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern Sichuan province, in the afternoon as part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations. He interacted with celebrities and customers,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347062/apples-tim-cook-visits-china-reliance-chinese-supply-chains-endures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347062/apples-tim-cook-visits-china-reliance-chinese-supply-chains-endures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Nasa cleared its moon rocket on Thursday for an April launch with four astronauts after completing the latest round of repairs. The 98-metre (322-foot) rocket will roll out of the hangar and back to the pad next week at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, leading to a launch attempt as early as April 1. It will mark humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than 50 years. The timing is interesting. From the end of March, US President Donald Trump is slated to visit China and meet with President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346456/nasa-clears-artemis-moon-rocket-april-launch-4-astronauts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346456/nasa-clears-artemis-moon-rocket-april-launch-4-astronauts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:24:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Elon Musk’s estimated US$839 billion net worth has made him the wealthiest individual ever recorded, Forbes said on Tuesday, as billionaires worldwide saw their combined fortunes surge in the past year to an all-time high of US$20.1 trillion. Musk topped the Forbes World’s Billionaires list for the second consecutive year after his fortune swelled by roughly US$500 billion over the past 12 months, driven by rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX, which is targeting a public offering in 2026. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346162/elon-musk-course-become-worlds-first-trillionaire-wealth-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346162/elon-musk-course-become-worlds-first-trillionaire-wealth-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 02:30:21 +0000