https://www.scmp.com/rss/519761/feed Track China’s ambitious aerospace advancements, from the home-grown commercial aircraft to space exploration, and their global impact. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin China is the United States’ “most consequential threat and competitor in space”, leveraging its capabilities “as a tool of diplomacy and influence”, US lawmakers were told at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as the two countries’ race to the moon intensifies. The US and China are locked in a high-stakes space race, with both nations aiming to put astronauts on the moon in the coming years. While China has set a 2030 target for its first crewed lunar landing, the US’ Artemis programme aims... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351922/us-lawmakers-warn-china-top-space-rival-race-moon-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351922/us-lawmakers-warn-china-top-space-rival-race-moon-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:30:18 +0000 Tang Meng Kit Tang Meng Kit The signal is clear. In the first quarter of this year, just three C919 aircraft were delivered – two to China Southern Airlines and one to Air China. For a Chinese programme expected to deliver more than 30 of these home-grown narrowbody airliners this year, the gap between ambition and reality has opened up quickly. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) delivered 15 C919s last year, far short of the target of 75 set before supply disruptions forced a reset. Even the modest reported... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350858/engine-dilemma-lies-heart-successful-take-chinas-c919?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350858/engine-dilemma-lies-heart-successful-take-chinas-c919?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial In an ideal world, China and the United States, the two pre-eminent spacefaring nations, would cooperate to explore humanity’s final frontier. In the real world, though, the two countries have started a new space race just as they compete in everything else. That’s one reason why Nasa’s latest Artemis mission to the moon has gained worldwide attention, not least from China’s space science community. While both sides are trying to beat the other to return humans to the moon, the stakes are even... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349475/new-space-race-should-be-recognised-marathon-not-sprint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349475/new-space-race-should-be-recognised-marathon-not-sprint?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China is upgrading the BeiDou satellite navigation system – its home-grown alternative to the US-run Global Positioning System – as Beijing seeks to expand the network’s industrial footprint and international reach. The project will focus on replacing older satellites with newer, third-generation models and realigning their orbital paths to allow more comprehensive global coverage, according to a document released by the China Satellite Navigation Office in late March. BeiDou has already... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3348900/chinas-gps-rival-beidou-getting-upgrade-beijing-eyes-global-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3348900/chinas-gps-rival-beidou-getting-upgrade-beijing-eyes-global-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese researchers say they have built an 11-satellite network for a jam-resistant, high-accuracy optical navigation system, designed to provide positioning where GPS is unavailable or disrupted, for everything from self-driving cars and drones to deep-space missions. Optical navigation has also been used in the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, helping drones developed by companies such as Asio Technologies and General Atomics operate in environments where GPS signals are jammed. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chinese-jam-proof-satellite-network-fill-gps-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chinese-jam-proof-satellite-network-fill-gps-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:01:05 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China Eastern Airlines said on Wednesday it placed a multibillion-dollar order for 101 Airbus A320neo aircraft, marking another success for the French company after it raked in big orders from Chinese airlines in December and amid uncertainties related to a widely speculated potential deal between its rival Boeing and Beijing. While the list price of the deal would be US$15.8 billion, China Eastern said Airbus had granted it “a significant price discount” which was “more favourable than the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347905/airbus-wins-chinese-airlines-101-plane-order-victory-over-boeing-key-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347905/airbus-wins-chinese-airlines-101-plane-order-victory-over-boeing-key-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:00:43 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Beijing aims to accelerate the rise of China’s home-grown airliner fleet, including the C909 regional plane, C919 narrowbody and C929 widebody, through 2030. This push to challenge the duopoly of Boeing and Airbus comes as a national five-year plan calls for aircraft production, development and the roll-out of a domestically developed engine. The next five years will prove vital to the success of the three aircraft models and the continued localisation of critical parts such as engines,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346236/chinas-five-year-jet-goals-target-c919-output-new-engine-and-reduced-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346236/chinas-five-year-jet-goals-target-c919-output-new-engine-and-reduced-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Frank Chen Ralph Jennings,Frank Chen The maker of China’s expanding family of civilian aircraft has announced new orders for a regional jet and secured a crucial “brain” for its ambitious C929 widebody jet, coinciding with the Singapore Airshow. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) said on Tuesday that it signed a letter of intent for cooperation with Aviage Systems for the C929’s core avionics processing system, according to a Yicai news report. Avionics refer to an aircraft’s electronic systems, including... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342392/new-brainer-chinas-c929-widebody-lands-partner-power-next-gen-flight-mind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342392/new-brainer-chinas-c929-widebody-lands-partner-power-next-gen-flight-mind?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:16:39 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu China’s commercial space sector has entered a new frontier. In January, a private Chinese aerospace company unveiled the test capsule of what is set to become the country’s first commercially developed crewed spacecraft, with plans for crewed flights by 2028 and bookings already taken from private space tourists. The project reflects a decisive shift in national policy, where commercial players are no longer peripheral participants but integral contributors to major space missions. This... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341977/china-opens-its-space-sector-hong-kong-should-reach-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341977/china-opens-its-space-sector-hong-kong-should-reach-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) is revving up the design and testing phase of its widebody C929 airliner, marshalling its resources and mobilising its stakeholders to roll out the indigenous jet on schedule – or, potentially, ahead of earlier estimates. Specialists from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) have proactively involved themselves in the C929’s development, the South China Morning Post has learned, with personnel from the national regulator assessing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342069/chinas-widebody-c929-could-arrive-early-revved-development-plan-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342069/chinas-widebody-c929-could-arrive-early-revved-development-plan-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen European aviation evaluators have begun test flights of China’s home-grown C919 airliner in Shanghai, the Post has learned, as the manufacturer of the narrowbody jet presses ahead with its bid to secure Western safety certification – a crucial step in the journey to global adoption and being able to compete with industry leaders Boeing and Airbus. Two test pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have conducted verification flights, according to a source with knowledge of the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339945/chinas-c919-airliner-put-through-paces-test-pilots-european-aviation-regulator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339945/chinas-c919-airliner-put-through-paces-test-pilots-european-aviation-regulator?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin As China pushes to take the global lead in building space-based solar power stations, a new study warns that powerful lasers beaming energy back to Earth could pose serious risks to other satellites in the increasingly crowded low-Earth orbit. If these beams miss their targets – because of tracking errors or system malfunctions – they could strike nearby spacecraft, overheat solar panels or trigger electrical discharges, according to a team from the Beijing Institute of Satellite Environment... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339829/chinese-risk-study-finds-space-solar-power-stations-could-accidentally-zap-satellites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339829/chinese-risk-study-finds-space-solar-power-stations-could-accidentally-zap-satellites?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela SpaceX has announced it will reconfigure its Starlink internet satellite constellation by lowering the orbit of more than 4,400 satellites throughout 2026, shortly after Beijing said the project posed “safety and security challenges”. The move aims to relocate the satellites to orbital regions less crowded by space debris and other planned satellite constellations, reducing the risk of collisions and allowing satellites to deorbit faster. It comes after an unnamed representative from Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338547/spacex-will-move-more-4400-satellites-lower-orbit-after-china-cited-safety-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338547/spacex-will-move-more-4400-satellites-lower-orbit-after-china-cited-safety-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:00:22 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has warned that the rapid expansion of internet satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink presented “pronounced safety and security challenges”. Addressing an informal United Nations Security Council event initiated by Russia on Monday, Beijing’s representative cited several incidents, including near collisions between Starlink satellites and the Chinese space station in 2021, and a satellite that disintegrated in December. The representative also pointed to the disregard of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338409/china-warns-satellites-elon-musks-starlink-are-safety-and-security-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338409/china-warns-satellites-elon-musks-starlink-are-safety-and-security-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s ultra-wealthy are quietly parking their private jets offshore to sidestep tougher compliance rules at home, while corporate executives are downgrading to commercial flights, analysts say, as economic headwinds hit the country’s business aircraft fleet. Aircraft owned by affluent Chinese nationals are said to be increasingly resurfacing in hubs such as Singapore and Japan, while more billionaires and corporate executives are turning to first-class commercial cabins or timeshare jet... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337814/why-are-rich-chinese-quietly-moving-private-jets-offshore-slumming-it-budget-seats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337814/why-are-rich-chinese-quietly-moving-private-jets-offshore-slumming-it-budget-seats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Though it did not come as a surprise, the US’ formal ban on the sale of new drones produced by China marks a “milestone” in the two countries’ strategic competition and technological decoupling, analysts said, with their rivalry continuing across numerous fields despite the temporary trade truce agreed between their leaders in October. Washington’s telecommunications regulator said on Monday that it is adding all foreign producers of drones and critical components – including those made by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337500/bad-policy-chinas-drone-makers-shrug-us-ban-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337500/bad-policy-chinas-drone-makers-shrug-us-ban-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s leading aircraft manufacturer, determined to carve out a share of the lucrative but technologically complex civil aviation market, has obtained a timely round of financial support from its state backers, greatly expanding its registered capital as the firm aims to overcome a production bottleneck and remount its challenge to the Boeing and Airbus duopoly. As competition from the two Western giants for contracts heats up amid a supply chain crunch that has slowed turnaround rates for the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334094/maker-chinas-c919-receives-massive-capital-injection-amid-supply-chain-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334094/maker-chinas-c919-receives-massive-capital-injection-amid-supply-chain-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:00:27 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat In 2003, a decade after the humiliation of the Yinhe incident – when a Chinese container ship was left stranded for weeks after the United States jammed its Global Positioning System (GPS) – Beijing set its sights on bypassing the American satellite network. At first, it turned to the European Union, pledging €230 million (then US$260 million) to join the Galileo project, an independent satellite navigation system designed to reduce Europe’s reliance on GPS. But the partnership did not last.... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332333/china-has-big-ambitions-space-and-arctic-should-west-be-worried?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332333/china-has-big-ambitions-space-and-arctic-should-west-be-worried?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 22:00:14 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The manufacturer of China’s home-grown passenger jets is ramping up efforts to secure Western-made engines as its aircraft production slumps and rivals race for scarce components amid a supply crunch afflicting the global aviation industry. By dispatching teams to key overseas suppliers, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) is seeking to smooth out communication and secure delivery of more Leap-1C engines, according to two people with knowledge of the trips. And as the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332368/c919-output-falters-chinas-comac-scrambles-western-engines-amid-global-bottleneck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332368/c919-output-falters-chinas-comac-scrambles-western-engines-amid-global-bottleneck?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China’s “in-orbit factory” has taken shape following a technological breakthrough in the form of an inflatable, reconfigurable space module, as it joins the United States and other countries to build large-scale industrial production lines in orbit. According to the developers, components of this smart morphing framework can be compactly folded during launch and inflated and unfolded once in orbit to form a vast, stable operational habitat, each a building block to create a manufacturing plant... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3331943/china-joins-space-factory-race-against-us-breakthrough-inflatable-module-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3331943/china-joins-space-factory-race-against-us-breakthrough-inflatable-module-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:05:46 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Japan – with China, North Korea and Russia in mind – plans to test its hypersonic missile-tracking technology in space, after its new HTV-X cargo spacecraft completes a resupply mission at the International Space Station. The spacecraft was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Sunday, carried by an H3 rocket. It arrived at the ISS on Thursday, where it was captured by the station’s robotic arm and docked in. On board is 4.4 tonnes of food and supplies as well as scientific research... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3331085/japan-put-hypersonic-missile-tracking-technology-test-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3331085/japan-put-hypersonic-missile-tracking-technology-test-space?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Brunei has officially adopted China’s civil aviation certification standards, easing access for Chinese-built aircraft such as the narrowbody C919 jet into the wealthy Southeast Asian market while serving as a potential model for how the planes could expand their international reach. Brunei accepted the airworthiness code of the Civil Aviation Administration of China earlier this month, the Chinese embassy in Brunei said on Monday on its website, citing the equatorial country’s Department of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330920/international-win-chinas-c919-brunei-accepts-chinese-aviation-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330920/international-win-chinas-c919-brunei-accepts-chinese-aviation-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s geopolitical rivalry with the West is expanding into new frontiers – including the polar regions, outer space, cyberspace and the deep sea – as Beijing unveils a flurry of scientific milestones and state-driven ambitions that analysts say are challenging traditional Western dominance across these critical domains. On Monday, China announced that its independently designed and built polar research vessel – the world’s first manned deep-sea-operations depot ship with icebreaking... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330611/chinas-geopolitical-competition-expands-new-frontiers-scientific-milestones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330611/chinas-geopolitical-competition-expands-new-frontiers-scientific-milestones?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Ralph Jennings Sylvia Ma,Ralph Jennings Chinese airlines could face ticket sale disruptions and higher costs if Washington follows through on a Trump administration proposal to bar them from using Russian airspace on US routes, analysts said – though they were divided over the plan’s feasibility. “If the proposal is really implemented, Chinese airlines might have to bear the losses from already-sold flights being cancelled – such as passenger compensation and wasted capacity,” said Yang Bo, a Chinese aviation analyst, noting that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328562/chinese-airlines-may-face-higher-costs-if-us-ban-russian-airspace-enforced-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328562/chinese-airlines-may-face-higher-costs-if-us-ban-russian-airspace-enforced-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 14:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings The delivery delays appearing to hit China’s C919 – the home-grown narrowbody jet intended to compete with leading Western models – may lead some domestic carriers to consider more orders with US aerospace giant Boeing, industry insiders said. With financial reports from major airlines suggesting C919 units have not been arriving as scheduled, manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) may lose a share of its home market to its American rival, they said, despite the safety... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327787/chinas-c919-jet-facing-order-delays-boeing-waiting-wings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327787/chinas-c919-jet-facing-order-delays-boeing-waiting-wings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong In a notable display of reconnaissance capabilities, a Chinese satellite has observed an American satellite that was itself monitoring China’s space station and high-value satellite, a move analysts described as a strategic tit-for-tat in an increasingly contested space domain. China’s Jilin-1 satellite constellation, operated by Chang Guang Satellite Technology, seized a favourable orbital window on September 8 to capture four images of the WorldView Legion satellite from distances ranging... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3325624/us-satellite-spies-chinese-space-station-and-more-china-spies-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3325624/us-satellite-spies-chinese-space-station-and-more-china-spies-back?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 22:00:12 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has shown strong interest in acquiring the Chinese C919 passenger jet, its executive said, as part of its strategy to tap into Southeast Asia’s 700 million-strong population and capitalise on growing China-Asean business ties. “We’re in active discussions to buy the C919,” Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A – an investment holding company of AirAsia – told the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on Wednesday. “We’re the first foreign airline to be working with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325061/china-eyes-c919-jet-breakthrough-malaysian-airline-confirms-talks-buy-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325061/china-eyes-c919-jet-breakthrough-malaysian-airline-confirms-talks-buy-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Chinese-made aircraft are set to spread their wings further in Southeast Asia after Air Cambodia announced what could become the largest ever overseas order for C909 passenger jets. The airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) for 10 of the jets, with the option to buy 10 more. “The two sides will closely cooperate on aircraft introduction, operational support and industry development,” according to an online statement by Comac,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325014/chinas-comac-wins-one-its-biggest-overseas-orders-c909-jets-cambodia-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325014/chinas-comac-wins-one-its-biggest-overseas-orders-c909-jets-cambodia-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 07:30:09 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China and Pakistan have pledged to expand trade and deepen technological cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture to space exploration, at a time when Islamabad is warming to the United States. During a meeting on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Premier Li Qiang said Beijing would advance the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Global instability and uncertainty have grown... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324517/china-pakistan-pledge-stronger-tech-and-trade-cooperation-amid-us-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324517/china-pakistan-pledge-stronger-tech-and-trade-cooperation-amid-us-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:30:11 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China is training representatives from Southeast Asia this month in an effort to promote its home-grown civilian aircraft, as the region leads the world in accepting Chinese deliveries despite Airbus and Boeing’s dominance. Twenty participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are taking part in the 2025 China-Asean Civil Aviation Management Capacity Enhancement Workshop in Beijing, which started Monday. Organised by the Civil Aviation... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324260/china-starts-aviation-training-southeast-asia-it-pushes-c919-home-grown-jets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324260/china-starts-aviation-training-southeast-asia-it-pushes-c919-home-grown-jets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 02:15:07 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China is pushing to accelerate the rollout of commercial low-orbit satellite internet services as it strives to develop home-grown rivals to SpaceX’s Starlink network. In a guideline released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it would encourage operators of low-orbit satellite constellations to launch trials of commercial services “at an appropriate time”. The document also encourages telecom operators to leverage low-orbit satellite internet to expand... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323502/china-races-roll-out-low-orbit-satellite-internet-rival-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323502/china-races-roll-out-low-orbit-satellite-internet-rival-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:43:55 +0000 Yang Xiaotong Yang Xiaotong The Silk Road once connected China and the Arab world, stretching from Cordoba to Canton. The network not only fostered trade, but also cultural and intellectual exchange. Today, as humanity stands on the brink of a new age of exploration, this time of the cosmos, the stage is set to revive this historic partnership. For Arab countries, especially the Gulf states, space exploration represents a way to diversify their economy and reinvent their image. They are investing billions in space... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322274/china-and-middle-east-space-silk-road-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322274/china-and-middle-east-space-silk-road-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A team of Chinese researchers has criticised the world’s largest Earth-imaging satellite fleet, describing the shoebox-sized spacecraft as “low-cost orbital landmines” that threaten the safety of space operations. Using a self-developed tracking platform, software scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences analysed the Dove constellation – which has launched hundreds of CubeSats since 2013 to provide daily, medium-resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface – according to the team’s article... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320140/us-earth-imaging-satellite-fleet-creating-low-cost-orbital-landmines-china-team-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320140/us-earth-imaging-satellite-fleet-creating-low-cost-orbital-landmines-china-team-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 12:00:10 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Chinese aerospace engineers have a revolutionary software design that they say will allow them to overcome a major barrier to stealth aircraft development. The new platform allows plane designers to have as many design variables as they want without increasing computing load – a feat long deemed impossible in aviation circles. The researchers described their innovation as breaking the “dimensionality curse” and used the US Navy’s X-47B, a demonstration stealth drone, to illustrate how the system... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319249/chinese-scientists-break-design-curse-killed-us-navys-x-47b-drone-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319249/chinese-scientists-break-design-curse-killed-us-navys-x-47b-drone-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Airbus has signed a new cooperation deal with its Chinese partner that will see the company localise more production of its A321 jet in China, with the announcement coming just a week ahead of a key China-Europe leaders’ summit. The European aviation giant will work with its partner AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry Group to start fuselage equipping – installing components onto the front and rear parts of an aircraft – for the A321 at its factory in Tianjin under the agreement. The programme is an... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318393/airbus-signs-fresh-deal-chinese-partner-amid-talk-massive-china-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318393/airbus-signs-fresh-deal-chinese-partner-amid-talk-massive-china-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A year after its rocket accidentally lifted off and then crashed during a test, Beijing-based start-up Space Pioneer has redesigned the vehicle and shown that it can withstand the intense forces of launch. In a recent ground-based test in central China, the company used the rocket’s nine-engine first stage – which produces nearly 900 tonnes of thrust combined – to simulate key mission phases, including fuelling, lift-off, flight and recovery. The structure held up under all test conditions, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318085/chinas-tianlong-3-rocket-passes-critical-stress-test-year-after-explosive-mishap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318085/chinas-tianlong-3-rocket-passes-critical-stress-test-year-after-explosive-mishap?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Leopold Chen,Xiaofei Xu,Ralph Jennings Leopold Chen,Xiaofei Xu,Ralph Jennings US President Donald Trump issues quite a few executive orders. So many, in fact, that one could be forgiven for not keeping up with them all. But amid the rapid-fire policy changes that have come to characterise his administration, one arrived last month that could have drastic implications for the world’s drone market – and China’s role in it. The order, signed June 6, requires government agencies to prioritise using home-grown unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) “to the maximum extent permitted by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317044/trump-wants-ground-chinas-drones-have-they-flown-too-high-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317044/trump-wants-ground-chinas-drones-have-they-flown-too-high-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The C919, China’s first indigenous narrowbody jet, embodies Beijing’s progress in pursuing technology self-sufficiency and holds the potential to reshape the global aviation market, but it faces a host of difficulties in challenging established giants Boeing and Airbus. In the latest China Future Tech webinar, Jason Li Hanming, a US-based aviation analyst, along with SCMP reporters Frank Chen, William Zheng and moderator Ralph Jennings, discussed questions surrounding the home-grown Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3315984/chinas-aviation-ambitions-experts-discuss-c919s-global-aspirations-and-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3315984/chinas-aviation-ambitions-experts-discuss-c919s-global-aspirations-and-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 14:26:34 +0000 Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings Western airlines risk suffering greater disruption than their Chinese rivals this summer, as the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel – compounded by US military strikes – forces most carriers to avoid flying over dangerous airspace on China-Europe routes. Analysts said that while almost all carriers have diverted services to bypass Iran and parts of the Middle East, Western firms are at a disadvantage: they remain barred from Russian airspace, which Chinese companies continue to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315605/iran-israel-war-why-chinas-airlines-may-face-less-turbulence-western-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315605/iran-israel-war-why-chinas-airlines-may-face-less-turbulence-western-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 05:59:53 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China has completed the inaugural test flight of its next-generation Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, executing a critical zero-altitude escape trial at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. The successful test hints at differences in the plans of China and the United States to “return to the moon”. Developed for China’s 2030 lunar ambitions, the modular Mengzhou spacecraft features two variants: a near-Earth version supporting space station operations with a seven-astronaut... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314870/mengzhou-spacecraft-chinas-moon-landing-mission-passes-landmark-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314870/mengzhou-spacecraft-chinas-moon-landing-mission-passes-landmark-test-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China appears on the verge of carrying out a historic satellite-to-satellite refuelling mission in high orbit, a potential advance that has prompted the US to deploy two military surveillance satellites nearby to watch. The Shijian-25 satellite was launched this year to test on-orbit refuelling and mission-extension technologies, and has been drifting towards Shijian-21. The two satellites have nearly synchronised orbits and are primed for rendezvous and docking, according to public tracking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314364/chinas-landmark-orbital-refuelling-mission-why-2-us-spy-satellites-hover-nearby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314364/chinas-landmark-orbital-refuelling-mission-why-2-us-spy-satellites-hover-nearby?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has reportedly bid to take a majority stake in the flag carrier of Laos, as the state-owned Chinese aviation firm continues its push to expand its market in Southeast Asia. The deal – which is pending approval by the Lao authorities – would see Comac help Lao Airlines overhaul its operations and stem its losses in exchange for the carrier agreeing to use the Chinese company’s passenger jets, Vientiane Times quoted Prime Minister Sonexay... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314303/china-steps-global-aviation-expansion-comac-bids-laos-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314303/china-steps-global-aviation-expansion-comac-bids-laos-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:32:56 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China’s military newspaper has condemned America’s planned “Golden Dome” space-based missile defence system, warning that it may threaten global strategic stability and trigger an arms race in space. “The development of the Golden Dome system and the US Space Force’s rapid expansion have further militarised outer space,” a commentary in PLA Daily warned on Thursday, adding that such moves could potentially intensify great power rivalry and challenge international arms control norms. The official... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314179/chinas-pla-daily-slams-us-golden-dome-missile-defence-plan-warns-space-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314179/chinas-pla-daily-slams-us-golden-dome-missile-defence-plan-warns-space-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China will push for civil aviation to be a topic of discussion at a summit with European Union leaders in July, with particular focus on the certification of the domestically produced C919 aircraft, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. High-level negotiations on the safety evaluation process would be likely to fast-track ratification of the airliner, the source said, and a rumoured order of hundreds of Airbus aircraft from Beijing would only help speed things along. Next month’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3313955/china-working-add-c919-certification-agenda-july-eu-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3313955/china-working-add-c919-certification-agenda-july-eu-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Frank Chen Ralph Jennings,Frank Chen Washington’s technology-export restrictions targeting Chinese plane makers this week will delay China’s jet engine indigenisation process in the near term, but any setback will only harden resolve in Beijing for tech self-reliance to test and launch a home-grown engine, analysts said on Friday. United States officials have reportedly suspended some sales of technologies linked to jet engines that could be built for Chinese state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China’s (Comac) civilian... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3312505/us-export-controls-delay-not-grounding-chinas-aircraft-engines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3312505/us-export-controls-delay-not-grounding-chinas-aircraft-engines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 14:30:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China is developing a rapid-response space defence system to intercept suspicious spacecraft and push them away, according to a senior scientist. If an unidentified object approaches China’s Tiangong space station or other critical space infrastructure, a small robotic thruster could be deployed to latch onto the intruder and push it to a safer distance, said Sun Zhibin of the National Space Science Centre in Beijing. “Sometimes another spacecraft may deliberately come close – maybe just to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312063/china-plans-arm-tiangong-space-station-self-defence-bots-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312063/china-plans-arm-tiangong-space-station-self-defence-bots-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The BeiDou satellite navigation system, China’s answer to GPS, cemented its leading position in the Chinese market last year, as its economic footprint grew more than 7 per cent and it expanded its compatibility to support a broader range of devices. The home-grown system – named after the seven bright northern stars used for navigation in ancient China – drove a total of 575.8 billion yuan (US$79.9 billion) of economic output in 2024, up 7.39 per cent year on year, according to data published... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3310900/beidou-chinas-version-gps-now-being-used-over-1-trillion-times-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3310900/beidou-chinas-version-gps-now-being-used-over-1-trillion-times-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 08:01:28 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China’s military has warned that a plan by the US Space Force to deploy “orbital carriers” will accelerate an arms race in space. In a commentary published on Thursday by the PLA Daily, an expert from the People’s Liberation Army Space Engineering University pointed to a recent US$60 million contract awarded by the US Space Force to develop an orbital transport craft. The article said the project would “boost US war-fighting strength, yet intensify the two nations’ military rivalry and threaten... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310658/chinas-pla-warns-us-space-force-orbital-carrier-risks-escalating-cosmic-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3310658/chinas-pla-warns-us-space-force-orbital-carrier-risks-escalating-cosmic-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 10:00:43 +0000 An escalating trade war with the United States will boost China’s efforts to lower satellite manufacturing and launch costs by substituting domestic technology for foreign parts as Beijing races to catch up with Elon Musk’s Starlink, an industry insider has said. The trade restrictions could affect up to 30 per cent of the US-sourced specialised satellite components, according to a senior executive from a leading Chinese commercial satellite company, who asked not to be named due to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307341/how-trumps-tariff-war-could-lift-chinas-satellite-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307341/how-trumps-tariff-war-could-lift-chinas-satellite-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:00:08 +0000 China is mastering directed energy, radio frequency and other advanced weapon systems that threaten US activities in space, the head of operations for the US Space Force warned on Thursday. General B. Chance Saltzman, the force’s chief of space operations, told the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission that China has used its resources more effectively than the US because Beijing is more narrowly focused on one region on the planet, while Washington must manage a larger... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3305155/pentagon-officials-urge-faster-militarisation-space-citing-chinas-advances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3305155/pentagon-officials-urge-faster-militarisation-space-citing-chinas-advances?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2025 21:36:24 +0000