Beijing has given the go-ahead for the Long March 9, a super heavy rocket often seen as China’s answer to SpaceX’s Starship, weeks after the American megarocket first reached orbit, according to a lecture slide circulating online.
The stainless-steel giant received official approval last month, according to the slide. At 110 metres (361 feet) tall and 10.6 metres wide, it will be the most powerful and expensive launcher China has ever built.
The slide, presented in the northwestern city of Xian by a researcher from the country’s main state-owned rocket maker, shows the Long March 9 is set to make its maiden flight in 2030. It will haul big loads to the moon and Mars, and help build solar power stations in space.
Its first stage will be powered by 30 methane-burning engines, producing about 6,000 tonnes of thrust at lift-off. On lunar missions, the rocket will be able to carry 50 tonnes – about the weight of eight elephants.