"However, over the last year, there has been a distinct change in announcements from China when it comes to new launch technology. Just as SpaceX is seeking to transition from its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket-which has now been flying for a decade and a half-to the fully reusable Starship design, so too are Chinese companies modifying their visions. Everyone wants a Starship these days"
"The trend began with the Chinese government. In November 2024 the government announced a significant shift in the design of its super-heavy lift rocket, the Long March 9. Instead of the previous design, a fully expendable rocket with three stages and solid rocket boosters strapped to the sides, the country's state-owned rocket maker revealed a vehicle that mimicked SpaceX's fully reusable Starship."
Many Chinese launch companies initially proposed rockets that closely resembled SpaceX's Falcon 9. LandSpace's medium-lift Zhuque-3 completed an initial flight with a nominal primary mission but failed a first-stage landing attempt. Over the last year announcements shifted toward fully reusable, Starship-like architectures. The Chinese government redesigned Long March 9 into a reusable concept rather than an expendable three-stage vehicle with solid boosters. Private firms followed: Cosmoleap proposed a fully reusable "Leap" with tower-catch chopsticks recovery, and Astronstone announced a stainless-steel, methane-fueled rocket intending a chopstick-style first-stage recovery while openly aligning with SpaceX approaches.
Read at Ars Technica
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