The Chinese capital is poised for a breakthrough in commercial spaceflight, with multiple reusable rockets developed by local firms preparing for their maiden launches. The advancements could dramatically lower launch costs and help Beijing tap into the booming low-Earth orbit economy, estimated to be a trillion-yuan market.

Low-Earth orbit, spanning 400 to 2,000 kilometers above Earth, offers advantages like natural magnetic shielding, lower radiation risks, and ultra-low-latency communication, making it a hotbed for global commercial space competition. Rockets serve as a critical gateway to this orbital frontier.

At southeastern Beijing's "Rocket Street," a hub for aerospace innovation, companies like Galactic Energy and LandSpace are racing to deploy next-gen rockets.

LandSpace's Zhuque-3, a methane-fueled reusable rocket comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9, completed a 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing test last year and is expected to make a debut flight in the second half of 2025. Its stainless-steel structure and methane engines, reusable up to 20 times, could reduce launch costs by 80% to 90%.

Meanwhile, Galactic Energy is pursuing a liquid oxygen and kerosene approach with its Pallas rocket, also targeting a 2025 maiden launch, said Xia Dongkun, the firm's executive president.

According to the municipal science and technology authority, Beijing is home to more than 70% of China's commercial launch system integrators. It also maintains the country's most complete launch vehicle development ecosystem and has developed a nationally leading satellite manufacturing cluster.

Additionally, Beijing's commercial rocket firms have set new records in launch, satellite development, and data applications: Beijing accounted for one-fifth of China's commercial launches last year, and single-use rockets have entered routine operations.

Galactic Energy's CERES-1, China's most-launched private rocket, has already sent 81 satellites to orbit for 25 clients. Its upgraded CERES-2, with doubled payload capacity, is preparing for its first flight.

Cost efficiency is key. "We are scaling payloads from 1 metric ton to hundreds and thousands while driving down per-kilo launch costs to tap into the trillion-yuan market," Xia noted. The firm has cut engine production expenses by 90% using 3D printing, a technique also adopted by LandSpace, which slashed manufacturing time for its Tianque engine from two months to days.