🇨🇳🚀Go big or go home: China readies FOUR reusable rockets for launch

China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is buzzing with activity as up to four rockets with reusability capability are readied for launch.

Lined up in the Gobi Desert spaceport where China’s space odyssey first began in 1970 are:

🟠 Long March 12A: A Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology design with first-stage vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) return capability. Liquid oxygen and kerosene fueled. Payload: 12 tons into low-Earth orbit (LEO), 6 tons into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The base rocket made its maiden flight in 2024. 12A’s first flight planned for December.

🟠 Kinetica-2: Developed by Chinese Academy of Sciences-owned commercial space launch provider CAS Space, the Kinetica-2 is a medium-lift liquid-fueled rocket with 12-ton LEO and 7.8-ton SSO capability and first-stage VTVL. Maiden flight planned for late 2025.

🟠 Tianlong-3: Another VTVL-ready rocket, this one developed by Beijing-based aerospace startup Space Pioneer. Liquid oxygen and kerosene-fueled. 17-ton LEO and 14-ton SSO capacity. Designed to accommodate payloads measuring up to 14x5.2M. Liquid oxygen and kerosene-powered. First stage tested in 2024. Debut flight set for December.

🟠 Zhuque-3: Yet another VTVL offering, developed by commercial space company LandSpace Technology Corporation. Liquid methane-fueled. 11.8-ton LEO payload. Booster test done in June. Maiden launch set for late November or early December.

What makes it so exciting?

The four rockets represent China’s first foray into reusable rocket tech. To date, only the US and Soviet space shuttle programs, and SpaceX’s Falcon and Starship rockets have achieved reusable launch vehicle status. No country has ever lined up so many reusable rockets at once.

The rockets are set to deploy China’s mega satellite internet constellations in the coming years.

These include Qianfan (up to 15k satellites by 2030), GuoWang (13k), Honghu-3 (10k), Geely (6k+), Tianqi (3.9k+) and Three-Body Computing (2.8k).

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📹🇮🇱 Videos show moment Israeli civilians crossed into Syrian territory

Newly circulated videos appear to show the moment several Israeli civilians crossed the border into Syrian territory in the Golan Heights, before being located by IDF troops and returned to Israel.

According to the IDF, the individuals breached the border at two separate points in the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon and were later transferred to Israel Police for further processing. The IDF called the incident a serious criminal offense that endangers both civilians and soldiers.

Footage from social media

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