Aerospace: Industry Trends

China’s C919 order backlog raises urgency for foreign-part acquisitions

20 Nov 2024 - 10:43AMvideocam

With China’s C919 flying high, factory visits aim to replicate Boeing’s success

Taking a page out of rivals’ playbooks, China’s Comac wants to turn its Shanghai plane factory into a tourism hotspot.

20 Nov 2024 - 10:48AMvideocam

China’s Comac, the maker of its home-grown jets such as the C919, intends to expand tours of its factory in Shanghai. Photo: AP

US, European plane-part giants aspire to power China’s widebody C929 ambitions

China is on a path toward self-sufficiency, but advanced plane parts from overseas remain essential to its aviation dreams.

15 Nov 2024 - 4:10PMvideocam

Explainer | China’s 4 commercial jets unboxed: from the rebranded C909 to a futuristic C939

More details about China’s home-grown passenger planes emerge at Zhuhai air show, with new sales and lofty aviation ambitions on display.

20 Nov 2024 - 10:49AMvideocam

China’s widebody C929 jet lands first buyer at top-flight Zhuhai air show

The home-grown C929, still under development, was the subject of a preliminary purchase agreement at China’s premier air show.

15 Nov 2024 - 4:11PMvideocam

China’s Comac brought several of its planes to the Zhuhai air show, including the renamed C909. Photo: Frank Chen

Low-altitude economy

China’s low-altitude economy is all the buzz, so where are the tangible results?

National-level plans are in the works and will likely offer guidance to local governments eager to capitalise on the low-altitude sector, from drones to eVTOL aircraft.

20 Nov 2024 - 11:42AMvideocam

US-China tech war

Musk’s SpaceX asks Taiwanese suppliers to move production abroad

The US company has requested multiple satellite component manufacturers to produce outside Taiwan, sources say.

6 Nov 2024 - 11:00AM

Aerospace: Companies

Chinese aerospace firm offers space tourists US$210,000 rocket rides from 2027

Deep Blue Aerospace sells 2 tickets for a trip it says features at least 5 minutes of weightlessness in outer space.

25 Oct 2024 - 6:59PMvideocam

Huo Liang, chairman of Deep Blue Aerospace, says his firm’s tickets may soon cost as little as “several hundred thousand yuan”, which netizens say is a “bargain” for space tourism. Photo: Weibo/Deep Blue Aerospace

China’s C919 passenger plane

Why are international airlines cutting flights to China?

Fewer flights to China by Western airlines seen as a reflection of reduced demand for business travel amid economic slowdown.

20 Oct 2024 - 4:00PMvideocam

Virgin Atlantic is said to be planning to suspend its 25-year-old Shanghai-London Heathrow route from next Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Mentor or rival? China takes notes from Brazilian giant Embraer as C919 soars

Aviation exchanges are expected as President Xi Jinping visits Brazil next month.

7 Oct 2024 - 11:06PMvideocam

‘Fierce international competition’ has China upgrading major radio telescope

An array of 24 radio telescopes will be built around China’s FAST to help boost the massive telescope’s resolution.

26 Sep 2024 - 6:12PMvideocam

China’s C919 passenger plane

Last BeiDou-3 satellites sent into orbit to test tech for next-gen system

Satellite pair launched on Thursday will allow for system to keep operating while older satellites are maintained and managed.

20 Sep 2024 - 8:23PMvideocam

The 59th and 60th satellites in the BeiDou system are launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket and Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage attached to the carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

China’s home-grown C919 reaches new heights with flight to ‘roof of the world’

C919 ‘smoothly landed’ at one of the highest airports in the world in western China on Thursday ahead of a series of ‘research and development test flights’.

25 Sep 2024 - 6:20PM

China’s first home-grown narrowbody civilian aircraft flew to the capital of the Tibet autonomous region for the first time on Thursday. Photo: CCTV

China-Philippines relations

China-Philippine flights to get wings clipped amid low demand, geopolitics

An expected reduction in routes between China and the Philippines comes as post-pandemic demand has not taken off, while their maritime dispute has also chilled travel.

25 Sep 2024 - 6:21PM

Low-altitude economy

China’s low-altitude economy adds ‘new track’ with home-grown blimp delivery

China’s first home-grown ‘civil manned airship’ blimp has been delivered to a client in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

20 Nov 2024 - 11:47AMvideocam

United States

Historic SpaceX private astronaut mission splashes down off Florida

The team had managed to hit a peak altitude of 1400km, the furthest humans have travelled from Earth since the Apollo missions to the Moon.

15 Sep 2024 - 4:51PMvideocam

Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman reacts upon his return to Earth from space on Sunday. Photo: SpaceX via AP

China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s Shenlong space plane ends third flight, shows ‘maturing’ performance

Reusable spacecraft lands in Gobi Desert months after US detects unknown object ejected from the plane and sent into same orbit.

25 Sep 2024 - 4:23PMvideocam

Is China’s first home-grown passenger jet profitable? Analysts weigh in

China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines have all taken delivery of the home-grown C919 narrowbody passenger jet.

25 Sep 2024 - 6:24PM

US-China relations

Eyeing China, US plans to deploy satellites to track targets by 2030s

Senior Space Force official describes Beijing and Moscow as ‘pacing challenges’ that can ‘target and destroy space systems’ in all orbits.

5 Sep 2024 - 5:55AMvideocam

A screengrab of General Michael Guetlein of the United States Space Force speaking in Virginia on Wednesday.

Explainer | What’s the buzz around China’s low-altitude economy?

From drone deliveries and surveillance to flying cars and tourism, technology for manned and unmanned aviation applications is being rapidly embraced across China.

26 Aug 2024 - 11:44PMvideocam

Several regions, including Beijing, Anhui and Suzhou, are prioritising the development of low-altitude flight scenarios to drive growth in the low-altitude economy. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

China’s low-altitude economy spreads wings as struggling locales look skyward

The economic model has been elevated to new heights nationwide as struggling regional governments vie for a piece of the pie in the sky.

26 Aug 2024 - 10:00AMvideocam

China’s initial launch for internet satellite network creates space debris

After delivering the first 18 satellites for the Qianfan Constellation project, the upper stage of the Long March 6A rocket broke apart, the US Space Command reports.

10 Aug 2024 - 2:21PM

Shanghai seeks AI, humanoid robotics, low-altitude economy upgrade by 2027

Shanghai will look to attract AI companies, build a humanoid robot manufacturing innovation centre and test low-altitude industrial logistics by 2027.

26 Jul 2024 - 5:00PMvideocam

Visitors touch humanoid robot hands on display at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Photo: AP

Chinese scientists propose information superhighway between Earth and the moon

A plan for a communication and monitoring network between Earth and the moon has been revealed by Chinese researchers.

20 Jul 2024 - 2:19PM

Chinese scientists are working on a proposed communication network to make travel between Earth and the moon easier. Photo: Shutterstock

A satnav system for the moon? Chinese scientists plot a possible route

China’s lunar ambitions could soon be aided by the construction of 21 satellites for a moon navigation system.

14 Jul 2024 - 12:17PMvideocam