China reveals a new heavy lift rocket that is a clone of SpaceX’s Starship
SMRTR summary
China is revising its Long March 9 rocket design to closely resemble SpaceX's Starship. The latest specifications include a fully reusable first stage with 30 methane-fueled engines, similar to Starship's 33 Raptor engines. China aims to launch this new rocket by 2033. Additionally, a Chinese startup named Cosmoleap plans to develop a fully reusable rocket using SpaceX-like landing methods. These developments show China's space industry is increasingly copying SpaceX's successful approaches to rocket design and reusability.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Ars Technica.
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