China’s Taobao working with startup on deliveries by reusable rocket

CHINESE rocket maker Space Epoch is working with Alibaba’s online shopping platform Taobao to make reusable rockets for express deliveries that could arrive globally in an hour, Space Epoch announced on Sunday (Mar 31).

The project is in early trial stages, and aims to develop a rocket that can carry up to ten tonnes of cargo in a 120 cubic metre container, Space Epoch said in a notice posted on its official WeChat account.

Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Beijing-based Space Epoch is looking to use its “Yuanxing-1” rocket, which completed ignition and offshore recovery tests last year. The company will carry out rocket delivery tests in the near future, noting that achieving its goals will not be easy in the short term.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the expansion of strategic industries, including the commercial space sector, deemed key to building constellations of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation.

Last year, 17 Chinese commercial launches took place, with one failure, among a new record 67 orbital launches by the country. That was up from 10 commercial launches in 2022, including two failures.

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Space Epoch secured 200 million yuan (S$38 million) in its third financing round last November. REUTERS