China’s rocket start-ups push the envelope as IPOs gather pace

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Themis QiJanuary 23, 2026 at 08:30 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

China is accelerating the development of its commercial space industry, with four private rocket companies advancing their IPO plans this month. LandSpace Technology, i-Space, CAS Space, and Space Pioneer are all progressing through the listing process on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, with LandSpace aiming to raise $1 billion. This push comes as China seeks to compete with companies like SpaceX and has designated aerospace as a strategic industry. The Shanghai bourse is prioritizing leading commercial space companies, even those currently unprofitable, for listing on the Star market, indicating a faster approval process for strategically important sectors. Chinese launch start-ups have yet to achieve a successful rocket recovery.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Moore Threads Technology 40% Beijing 50% Star Market ×250% i-Space 60% Elon Musk 60% CAS Space 60% Space Pioneer 60% SpaceX 70% Shanghai Stock Exchange 70% LandSpace Technology ×280% China ×390%

Keywords

commercial space industry 90% rocket start-ups 80% initial public offering 80% ipo 70% china 70% aerospace 60% landspace technology 60% star market 50% rocket recovery 40%