Since then, China has been revising the design of this rocket, named Long March 9, in response to the development of reusable rockets by SpaceX. As of two years ago, China had recalibrated the design to have a reusable first stage. Now, based on ...

When Chinese space officials unveiled the design for the country's first super heavy lift rocket nearly a decade ago, it looked like a fairly conventional booster. The rocket was fully expendable, with three stages and solid motors strapped onto its sides.

SpaceX currently operates close to 6,500 Starlink satellites in orbit and has plans to loft thousands more. The satellites have been used to provide vital communications to hard-hit areas following natural disasters such as Hurricane Helene or in the wake of conflicts such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.