Chinese company will build rocket bigger than Starship

Startup Cosmoleap will build reusable rockets that can be recovered using a robotic wand system similar to SpaceX's Starship.

Chinese startup Cosmoleap announced it has raised more than $14 million to develop the Yueqian reusable rocket and recovery system, Interesting Engineering reported on November 5. The video, which simulates the operation of the Yueqian, reveals a design that closely resembles SpaceX's Starship launch system. The Yueqian falls from the sky before being caught by a pair of mechanical chopsticks. Last month, SpaceX made history by recovering the first stage of the Starship, the Super Heavy booster, in mid-air using a launch tower.

Cosmoleap's full name is Beijing Dahang Transfer Technology Co., Ltd., founded in March 2024. Cosmoleap is quite ambitious, starting with a project similar to SpaceX's Starship launch system. They have now convinced investors that they have the necessary qualifications and experience. Shenergy Chengyi, Tiangchuang Capital, Legend Capital, and several other investment firms participated in the funding round.

Despite looking a lot like Starship, Cosmoleap's Yueqian rocket isn't headed to Mars. Cosmoleap is developing the rocket to help build satellite internet. Starship is also designed to deploy SpaceX's Starlink version 2 satellites. Cosmoleap will conduct the Yueqian's first test flight in 2025 or 2026.

Cosmoleap’s plans may seem like a stretch for a company that has never flown to orbit before. But Yueqian will be much smaller than Starship. It’s just 75 meters tall, compared to Starship’s 121 meters. Yueqian can carry 10,460 kilograms of cargo into low Earth orbit. The payload will drop to 6,280 kilograms when the first stage is recovered.

In fact, Cosmoleap is planning to build a rocket larger than Starship, standing 410 feet tall. According to the company, the vehicle will be able to carry 100 tons of cargo to low orbit and 36 tons when reused. That new rocket will launch for the first time in 2030. If successful, it will be the world’s largest rocket. Cosmoleap hopes to match SpaceX’s impressive feats.