Space industry sees shifts as China unveils Raptor-like engine and SpaceX readies first Starship orbital flight

China’s private launch firm Space Pioneer revealed a new Tianhuo-21 methane-liquid oxygen engine that produces about 2,450 kN of thrust, a figure nearly identical to SpaceX’s Raptor 3. The design, posted on social media, prompted SpaceX founder Elon Musk to caution that replicating the engine would be difficult because of its complex internal geometry and reliance on advanced 3D metal-printing techniques.

In the United States, SpaceX announced a target date of September 22 for its 14th Starship mission, pending regulatory approval. The launch would carry 26 V3-type Starlink satellites to a 275-km orbit, with the Starship upper stage planned to complete six Earth orbits over roughly ten hours, marking the company’s first attempt to place the vehicle into orbit.

European launch services provider Avio reported a surge in demand after SpaceX stopped accepting new commercial Falcon 9 orders. Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo said customers are seeking alternatives, and the company recently launched a Vega-C rocket carrying ESA’s FLEX Earth Explorer and Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellites from French Guiana. The mission used a new Vespa adapter to stack both payloads inside the fairing.

China also conducted four launches within 44 hours, including commercial rockets from LandSpace, Orienspace, and ExPace, underscoring the rapid growth of its private launch sector.

NASA confirmed that the Falcon Heavy-launched Roman Space Telescope has enough propellant for at least 22 years of operations, far exceeding its original five-year design life.

Blue Origin and the Air Force Research Laboratory expanded a partnership to study next-generation propulsion, including full-flow staged-combustion and the BE-7 lunar-lander engine.