China catches up in commercial space: an interview with Ji Wu

Abstract

abstract China continued to gather momentum in space in 2021. With a record-breaking 55 orbital launches, the country made it again to the top of the list, ahead of the USA’s 51 and Russia's 25 launches. However, nearly 90% of the Chinese launches were carried out by the state-owned Long March rocket family. In contrast, only about one-third of the US launches were made by government-funded rockets. National Science Review invited Ji Wu (吴季), an expert in space science, former director of the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and author of The Moon Summit, Lunar Hotel and Space Tourism, to talk about the internal and external driving forces behind the emerging private space sector in China, and government policies supporting its development since 2014. Wu also shared his insights into space tourism as a gateway to space for all, as well as his concerns for the orderly competition in the global market.