Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese private rocket company SEPOCH recently completed a successful experiment to transport packages from the country’s largest e-commerce platform Taobao, owned by tech giant Alibaba, using a reusable rocket. The rocket was retrieved from seawater after the test, symbolizing China’s major breakthrough in commercial space logistics.
SEPOCH, a Beijing-based startup, carried out its first “rocket delivery” experiment on May 29 when the XZY-1 test rocket blasted off from the east China coast with 20 kg of cargo parcels on board.
During the test, the 26.8-meter-long, 57-ton stainless steel rocket flew for 125 seconds and reached an altitude of about 2.5 kilometers, after which it made a successful vertical landing on the sea surface off the coast of Shandong province.
It took only 18 hours to remove the missile from the water, clean it and transport it to the maintenance plant. According to the preliminary inspection, there was no damage or leakage on the missile’s steel body, and its engine and electrical devices were in good condition, SEPOCH reported.
Unlike other missiles, the test prototype’s warhead is equipped with a 120-cubic-meter cargo compartment, which is designed to carry up to 10 tons of cargo, so theoretically it can even carry a passenger car or a small truck.
The experimental cargo in the recent launch included products from two stores on the Taobao marketplace, including products from the National Library’s official flagship store and commemorative cards specially dedicated to the launch.
Alibaba’s Taobao platform’s partnership with the rocket company demonstrates China’s commitment to aggressively developing the promising field of point-to-point rocket cargo transportation, in which a connection is established directly between two endpoints without intermediate hubs or intermediaries. The practice, industry experts say, will revolutionize global logistics by cutting the time it takes to ship goods transcontinentally from one region to another from days to minutes.
While express delivery for ordinary consumers using a rocket is expensive, SEPOCH founder Wei Yi acknowledged, noting that the rocket is initially intended for scenarios such as emergency delivery, delivery of humanitarian supplies to help eliminate natural disasters, and airlifting goods to remote and hard-to-reach areas.
“As reusable rockets become more common and stainless steel is widely used in their construction, the cost of rocket delivery is expected to drop significantly,” Wei Yi said.
Before the launch of the “rocket delivery” services, numerous tests are still required, including tests on the reusable rocket’s return technology, as well as the strength and durability of its body, said aerospace expert Cao Meng.
SEPOCH has now announced plans to launch its rocket into orbit and return by the end of 2025, where it will carry seven tons of cargo into orbit 1,100 km from Earth using a liquid oxygen and methane engine.
The company is further prepared to expand the range of goods transported by rocket, including fresh food and fragile items, as well as to develop an evacuation system to ensure the safety of cargo. -0-