Beijing approves giant Long March 9 rocket for deep-space and lunar base runs

Beijing has granted approval for the development of the Long March 9, a massive rocket that analysts view as China's response to SpaceX's Starship. The announcement was made in a slide presentation from Xian, a city in the northwestern part of the country. At 110 meters tall and 10.6 meters wide, the Long March 9 will be the most powerful and expensive launcher China has ever constructed.

The rocket is scheduled to make its inaugural flight in 2030, undertaking missions to the Moon, Mars, and the construction of space-based solar power stations. Its first stage will be propelled by 30 methane-burning engines, generating approximately 6,000 tonnes of thrust upon liftoff. During lunar missions, the rocket will be capable of carrying 50 tonnes, equivalent to the heft of eight elephants.

However, unlike SpaceX's Starship, which is designed for full reusability, the Long March 9 will only recover its first stage. A more environmentally-friendly version, the Long March 9B, is slated to become fully reusable upon its debut in 2032 and will be able to lift 150 tonnes into low Earth orbit. Chinese social media reacted with a mixture of enthusiasm and caution to the news.

One user remarked, "Finally, it's not just a PowerPoint rocket anymore," while others expressed concern over resource allocation, given that the Long March 10, China's lunar landing rocket, is also being developed by the same state-owned rocket technology research institute. Veteran rocket scientist Long Lehao, a staunch proponent of the Long March 9, has been promoting the rocket's development for years, predicting its completion within ten years of receiving official approval.