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Bloomberg • David Fickling

SpaceX Outpacing China's Ambition for 203,000 'Paper' Satellites

New analysis shows SpaceX is outpacing Chinese plans to field up to 203,000 proposed 'paper' satellites, underscoring a widening commercial and operational gap as Starlink's rapid deployments and a potential financing pivot accelerate U.S. constellation scale while China expands domestic launch capacity.

2026-02-16T01:00:31.482533-08:00

SpaceNews.com

LandSpace targets Q2 Zhuque‑3 relaunch and booster recovery; Q4 reuse test planned

2026-02-18T04:17:21.477862-08:00

AINonline

United Aircraft's R6000 six‑ton civil tiltrotor targets CAAC approval by year‑end

2026-02-18T01:30:32.686277-08:00

SpaceNews.com

China's Space Epoch raises B‑round, targets 2026 orbital launch and booster recovery attempt

2026-02-17T10:13:11.075499-08:00

Hype Analysis

China's Aviation Industry in September 2024: Key Developments and Trends

October 3, 2024 - China's aviation industry in September 2024 expanded international routes, advanced the COMAC C919, and navigated competitive pressures. Read More.

News Timeline

Space.com

China’s Shenlong spaceplane completes fourth flight — what the mission reveals about Beijing’s spaceplane capabilities China’s Shenlong experimental spaceplane completed a fourth flight, offering new—but inconclusive—clues about Beijing’s reusable, hypersonic and orbital test capabilities. Analysts say the mission’s trajectory, duration and recovered hardware suggest maturation of spaceplane technology and potential dual-use applications, though definitive roles remain unconfirmed.

2026-02-23T11:10:58.212828-08:00

China’s Shenlong spaceplane completes fourth flight — what the mission reveals about Beijing’s spaceplane capabilities

SpaceNews.com

LandSpace targets Q2 Zhuque‑3 relaunch and booster recovery; Q4 reuse test planned LandSpace is targeting Q2 for a second Zhuque‑3 orbital launch and a first‑stage booster recovery attempt, and aims to run a reuse test in Q4. The schedule lays out near‑term milestones as the company pursues recoverable and reusable launch capability.

2026-02-18T04:17:21.477862-08:00

LandSpace targets Q2 Zhuque‑3 relaunch and booster recovery; Q4 reuse test planned

AINonline

United Aircraft's R6000 six‑ton civil tiltrotor targets CAAC approval by year‑end United Aircraft's R6000 six‑ton civil tiltrotor is targeting approval from China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) by year‑end, advancing the programme toward certification. CAAC sign‑off would clear a major regulatory milestone for the R6000 and pave the way toward commercial introduction pending further steps.

2026-02-18T01:30:32.686277-08:00

United Aircraft's R6000 six‑ton civil tiltrotor targets CAAC approval by year‑end

SpaceNews.com

China's Space Epoch raises B‑round, targets 2026 orbital launch and booster recovery attempt Chinese launch startup Space Epoch has closed a B‑round of financing as it prepares for its first orbital launch and booster recovery attempt in 2026. The funding will support vehicle testing, manufacturing scale‑up and development of recovery systems ahead of a planned late‑2026 flight.

2026-02-17T10:13:11.075499-08:00

China's Space Epoch raises B‑round, targets 2026 orbital launch and booster recovery attempt

Universe Today

Chang'e-6 Far-Side Samples Challenge Late Heavy Bombardment Hypothesis Analyses of lunar material returned by China's Chang'e-6 offer the first close-up view of far-side geology, and a Science Advances paper from the Chinese Academy of Sciences reports findings that question the timing and intensity of the Moon's Late Heavy Bombardment, with implications for solar-system impact history.

2026-02-17T06:53:03.209781-08:00

Chang'e-6 Far-Side Samples Challenge Late Heavy Bombardment Hypothesis

SpaceNews.com

Zenk Space completes first-stage static fire of Zhihang-1 ahead of planned launch Low-profile Chinese launch startup Zenk Space has completed a first-stage static-fire test of its Zhihang-1 rocket, a key pre-launch milestone as the company prepares for a planned orbital mission. The test advances vehicle readiness and highlights rising activity among China’s emerging commercial launch firms.

2026-02-16T04:04:33.424059-08:00

Zenk Space completes first-stage static fire of Zhihang-1 ahead of planned launch

Bloomberg

❗️

SpaceX Outpacing China's Ambition for 203,000 'Paper' Satellites New analysis shows SpaceX is outpacing Chinese plans to field up to 203,000 proposed 'paper' satellites, underscoring a widening commercial and operational gap as Starlink's rapid deployments and a potential financing pivot accelerate U.S. constellation scale while China expands domestic launch capacity.

2026-02-16T01:00:31.482533-08:00

SpaceX Outpacing China's Ambition for 203,000 'Paper' Satellites

New York Times

Satellite imagery reveals China’s mountain nuclear buildup New satellite imagery identifies expanded, secretive nuclear facilities carved into China’s mountains, indicating Beijing is accelerating its nuclear arsenal build-up just as international arms‑control guardrails weaken. The analysis signals a measurable shift in strategic posture with implications for regional deterrence and force planning.

2026-02-14T21:24:37.069391-08:00

Satellite imagery reveals China’s mountain nuclear buildup

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China News

SpaceX Outpacing China's Ambition for 203,000 'Paper' Satellites

LandSpace targets Q2 Zhuque‑3 relaunch and booster recovery; Q4 reuse test planned

United Aircraft's R6000 six‑ton civil tiltrotor targets CAAC approval by year‑end

China's Space Epoch raises B‑round, targets 2026 orbital launch and booster recovery attempt

Hype Analysis

China's Aviation Industry in September 2024: Key Developments and Trends

News Timeline