Galactic Energy is advancing in rocketry with the design of reusable rockets.

Galactic Energy's CEO, Liu Baiqi, during a visit to the company's launch center, announced that the Pallas-1 rocket will be ready for its inaugural flight this November. This marks a significant step forward for the Chinese startup, as the Pallas-1 will become the first reusable rocket designed in China to reach orbit. However, it is not yet clear if it will be capable of reusability; nonetheless, Liu's announcement adds further momentum to China's race for the development of multi-use rockets. The rocket's name, Pallas-1, derives from the Greek goddess Athena. Its launch is scheduled from the Space Launch Center located on the southern island of Hainan in November.

During the visit, Liu Baiqi updated the staff on the rocket's progress and discussed crucial issues such as the launch platform, satellite interface, and spacecraft tracking in preparation for flight, stating that the Pallas-1 will be ready for its flight by November of this year, further adding that the launch will be visible from the coast of the South China Sea, offering a technological spectacle of remarkable beauty and wisdom.

When asked if the first stage of the Pallas-1 would be retrieved during the maiden flight and, if so, where it would be retrieved, a company representative stated that these details "were not appropriate to disclose at this time."

So far, only the American company SpaceX has managed to achieve partial reusability of its rockets - Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy - thus reducing launch costs and increasing the profitability of orbital flights. The Pallas-1, in its initial stage, is powered by seven Cangqiong (Welkin) engines and can lift 5 tons into low Earth orbit or 3 tons into geostationary orbit, at an altitude of 700 km above Earth.

Founded in 2018, Galactic Energy (also known as Beijing Xinghe Dongli Space Technology Co. Ltd, 北京星河动力航空科技有限公司) has emerged as a leader in the field of commercial launches in China. It currently holds the best record of launches, including nine successful consecutive flights with its small solid-fuel rocket Ceres-1.

In December, the Beijing-based company stated that it had received $153.5 million in funding for Pallas-1, which will go towards research and development of reusable launch vehicle technology and related infrastructure.

But two separate sources familiar with the matter told The Post that it is unlikely that Pallas-1 will be returned during the November launch. So far, Galactic Energy has only used a small jet vehicle to test the reusability of the rocket's guidance, navigation, and control software.

China has yet to develop a reusable rocket. Only American companies SpaceX (for orbital flights) and Blue Origin (for suborbital flights) have so far managed to land and reuse the rockets they have developed and produced.

Galactic Energy is competing in China with other private startups developing liquid-propelled reusable rockets. These include iSpace (北京星际荣耀空间科技有限公司) with its Hyperbola 2 and LandSpace Technology (北京蓝箭空间科技有限公司) with the Zhuque 2, as well as Deep Blue Aerospace (北京深蓝航天科技有限公司), CAS Space, and Space Pioneer, which have conducted standard vertical takeoff and landing tests to test hardware and software. Both companies plan to conduct first-stage return flights in 2025.

Chinese commercial launch companies are working on technology to reduce launch costs and secure contracts as part of projects to expand the country's satellite internet constellation. Galactic Energy aims to secure contracts to launch satellites for China's national mega satellite constellation, called Guowang. The national plan calls for China to launch nearly 13,000 satellites into low Earth orbit. The national plan is seen as a response to SpaceX's Starlink and other satellite constellations.

SpaceX has significantly raised the bar with its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, leading other organizations to receive considerable criticism and having to catch up. For example, NASA's SLS rocket program has faced criticism for surpassing its initial budget by over $10 billion.

In a 2022 interview, former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver stated that SLS did not represent progress. Garver emphasized struggling for a rocket launch program based on reusability.

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency has recently issued a request for proposals for reusable rocket booster concepts. Stéphane Israël, CEO of the continent's leading launch service provider, Arianespace, recently stated that he believes Europe will not have reusable rockets until the 2030s.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://spacenews.com/chinese-launch-startup-galactic-energy-raises-154-million-for-pallas-1-reusable-rocket/

Report Author(s): Irina Liu, Evan Linck, Bhavya Lal, Keith W. Crane, Xueying Han and Thomas J. Colvin   
Appendix A.: List of Chinese Commercial Space Companies
Evaluation of China’s Commercial Space Sector, Sep. 1, 2019, pp. A-1-A-8 (8 pages)

Ibidem
Evaluation of China’s Commercial Space Sector, Sep. 1, 2019, pp. 27-44 (18 pages)

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nasa-officials-admit-the-agencys-sls-rocket-is-unaffordable