China Unveiled New Carrier Rocket

In News

Posing a challenge to India in the global satellite transportation market, China has unveiled new carrier rockets.

In-Detail

• India is one of the leading countries for space launch vehicles in the 1.5 tonne satellite segment.
• But, with China’s unveiling of new commercial carrier rockets, India will be competing for the market share.
• The new Chinese rockets can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes and it will compete with India’s workhorse, the PSLV.
• The rocket series has two types of rockets. One, codenamed Smart Dragon (SD) family consists of a cluster of solid-fuelled rockets and the other is Tenglong, a liquid-propelled rocket.
• The rockets were unveiled by China Rocket, a commercial wing of China’s rocket maker the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
• China is now aiming to tap into the growing domestic and global commercial space launches.

Commercial Aspirations

• China has an elaborate space program. It has already reached the Moon and is planning to send a spacecraft to Mars.
• But, it lags behind India in attracting the global commercial rocket market.
• For the country, India is the nemesis and the new rockets are set to challenge India’s dominance in the global commercial space launch market.
• With the new rockets, China has cut down the cost for launching satellites and made itself an alternative to India which is already an established low-cost space launch provider.