Space Commerce

China’s Commercial Cargo Spacecraft Contracts – In With the New or More of the Same?

By Blaine Curcio

SpaceRef

September 28, 2023

Filed under cargo, China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)

China’s Commercial Cargo Spacecraft Contracts – In With the New or More of the Same? — The Tianzhou 5 cargo spacecraft before it burned up upon reentry.

Image credit: CMSA.

This week, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced the winners of its commercial low-cost cargo spacecraft contract, while also announcing several other bidders for the tender that was initially opened earlier this year. With several commercial entities placing a bid, but most of the contracts going to the usual suspects, there’s a lot to dig into.

Blaine Curcio

Blaine Curcio is the leading Chinese space industry analyst, having been based in Greater China since 2011, and having been working in the space and satcom sector since 2010. He is founder of Hong Kong-based Orbital Gateway Consulting, a research and consulting firm focused on the Chinese space sector, and is Affiliate Senior Consultant at Euroconsult, a leading space industry consulting firm.

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