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China space authorities name Elon Musk’s SpaceX an ‘unprecedented challenge’

  • ‘Deep sense of crisis’ needed if China is to narrow technology gap and become a world-leading space power by 2045
  • Chinese aerospace workers urged to overcome complacency and work harder to keep up with the California-based company’s advances

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SpaceX’s Falcon 8 rocket and other developments have been identified as the main challengers to China’s bid for dominance in space. Photo: AP
Ling Xinin Ohio
China’s ambition to become a dominant space power by 2045 is facing unprecedented challenges, especially from US company SpaceX, according to an official commentary in state-owned China Space News.

Chinese aerospace workers must maintain “a deep sense of crisis” as the California-based company takes the lead in revolutionising and reshaping the global space industry, said the commentary which was published on Friday.

The article said China’s main state-owned space contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), is “obviously lagging behind” SpaceX in a number of ways, including its development philosophy, research and production models, core rocket technologies, and economic performances.

“[CASC] is big but not strong or outstanding enough.” As technological gaps with SpaceX keep expanding, every space worker should be “soberly aware” of the circumstances, overcome “complacency and blind arrogance” and work harder, according to the article.

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SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk in 2002 to cut launch costs and make space flight more affordable.

Its products include the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX is also developing Starship, a superheavy lift, fully-reusable launch system, and the internet satellite constellation Starlink.

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