China is set to launch two new commercial cargo spacecraft this year, marking a significant step forward for its space industry and the growing role of private companies in space exploration. These missions will provide flexible and redundant resupply options for the Tiangong space station, while also demonstrating the progress made by Chinese commercial space actors.
The Haolong cargo space shuttle, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), will launch on Landspace's Zhuque-3 rocket, a reusable methane-liquid oxygen vehicle scheduled for its first flight in the third quarter of 2025. Haolong, a 10-meter-long, 7,000-kilogram spacecraft, will be capable of landing on a runway, enabling the return of hardware and experiments from Tiangong, a capability currently limited by the Shenzhou crew spacecraft.
Meanwhile, the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS), will launch on the maiden flight of the CAS Space Kinetica-2 (Lijian-2) rocket no earlier than September 2025. Qingzhou-1, a single-module spacecraft with 27 cubic meters of space, can carry 1,800 to 2,000 kilograms of cargo.
This shift towards commercial space participation mirrors NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program, diversifying China's options for supplying Tiangong. Currently, the only method for delivering supplies and propellant to Tiangong is via Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, which are destroyed upon reentry. Tianzhou spacecraft launch on the expendable Long March 7 rocket.
The introduction of these new, smaller cargo spacecraft using potentially reusable rockets signifies a step forward in China's reusability capabilities and cost efficiency. It also highlights the growing involvement of commercial actors in the space industry. Landspace, the commercial launch provider for Haolong, ambitiously aims to launch three Zhuque-3 rockets this year, including a mission for the Guowang megaconstellation, China's response to Starlink and other similar projects.
The Zhuque-3, with a 4.5-meter-diameter first stage, is designed for reuse for at least 20 flights. It can launch 21,000 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO) in expendable mode, or 18,300 kg when recovered. Landspace also plans to recover one of the first stages using powered descent and landing legs. The company also plans six launches of the smaller, expendable Zhuque-2.
These cargo missions are the result of a China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) call for proposals issued in 2023 for low-cost cargo transportation systems to serve the Tiangong space station. Four proposals from 10 submissions were chosen to enter a detailed design phase in September 2023, and a pair of winning proposals were selected in October 2024.
The cargo project, along with the introduction of an array of new launch vehicles in 2025, could mean a landmark year for China's space industry and its commercial participants, and for its push for reusable space technology and commercial space integration.