Despite ongoing commercial reusability initiatives, China’s principal state-owned contractor intends to conduct test flights for two new big diameter reusable rockets in the coming years.

Wang Wei, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, revealed that the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) intends to launch four-meter and five-meter-diameter reusable rockets for the first time in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

The two rockets’ identities are not made apparent in the reports. It is known that CASC is working on the Long March 10, a new crew launch vehicle with a diameter of 5.0 meters. A new-generation human spacecraft would be launched to low Earth orbit using a single stick version, which might make its first flight in 2025. The crew spacecraft “Mengzhou” is scheduled to enter trans-lunar orbit using a three-core configuration.

China intends to land humans on the moon before 2030, and the rocket is essential to that goal. Measuring 92 meters in length, the Long March 10 lunar variant has the capacity to propel 27 tons into trans-lunar orbit.

The rocket previously suggested by CASC’s Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) could be the 4.0-meter-diameter launcher. Up to 6,500 kg of cargo could be launched by that rocket into a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). Notably, engines created by Jiuzhou Yunjian, a manufacturer of commercial engines, would be used.

The initial step in CASC’s effort to create a reusable rocket was to build a Long March 8 that could be recovered. It seems that proposal has been shelved. Moreover, SAST intends to launch the 3.8-meter-diameter Long on March 12 from a new commercial launch site later this year.

For lunar and human spaceflight, the Long March 10 has well-defined applications, but the second reusable rocket seems to be aimed at competing with China’s commercial rocket businesses. This points to redundant work, but it also aligns with the country’s plan to encourage commercial ecosystems and produce reusable rockets. China’s launch and access to space options would be substantially increased by the actions. Additionally, it would offer the additional capacity required to support the projected low-Earth orbit megaconstellation construction.

Wang stated that in order to support the growth of China’s commercial space industry in recent years, CASC has been making use of its entire industrial chain as well as its advantages in technology, goods, talent, infrastructure, and other areas.

Additionally, CASC will improve sharing and openness of large-scale test facilities like test benches for rocket engines. Along with providing additional infrastructure to enable commercial launches, it will also take part in the construction of commercial launch sites.

According to a separate interview with Science and Technology Daily, an official ministry publication, Rong Yi of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) within CASC stated that China has made steady progress in recent years with reusable rockets. She said that major technical problems have been resolved one at a time and that things are moving along quite smoothly overall.

According to that research, CASC is developing products more quickly that are tailored for the commercial space sector. It is advancing the development of reusable launch vehicle technology and encouraging the modernization of space transportation infrastructure. Additionally, it is creating the commercially available YF-209 methane-liquid oxygen reusable engine.

Several Chinese manufacturers of commercial rockets are organizing and carrying out hop experiments on a modest scale. These are the first steps toward the larger, reusable launchers that will be unveiled soon.

Companies including Landspace, Space Pioneer, Galactic Energy, and iSpace are aiming to make launchers disposable with the possibility of making them reusable in the future. Later this year, Deep Blue Aerospace may try its maiden orbital launch and recovery.