Interview with Essential Capital (元航资本) on the Perspectives of Commercial Space in China
03 January 2019
Essential Capital (a.k.a 元航资本 in Chinese) is a Chinese VC firm founded in 2015 and based in Beijing. Essential Capital considers itself an early-middle stage investor, with a major focus on “hard tech”. As an early mover within the VC world into the burgeoning Chinese space industry, the company’s founders gave some interesting insights on the topic in an interview to the Chinese media Iyiyou 亿欧 in December 2018 (see [1]). This article sums up the main takeaways and adds further comment along the way. Please note that the interview was not realized by The China Aerospace Blog.
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FutureAerospace’s China Commercial Space Investment Report 2018: Highlights
26 January 2019
2018 has been a crazy year for Chinese commercial space, and 2019 promises to be even crazier. iSpace raised 110 million RMB on January 3 [1], Minospace raised an estimated 20 million RMB on January 15 [2] , and as I am writing these lines (26/01/2019), Changguang Satellite (CGSTL) just raised a whooping 250 million RMB in an angel round [3]. This has literally smashed January 2018’s record (283 million RMB raised). Before 2019 goes any further, let’s take some time to reflect on investments in Chinese space tech in 2018.
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Space PR and Public Outreach at its best: Arizona State University publishes a series of LRO photos showing the Chang'e 4 landing site with the lander and rover
9 February 2019
The Chang'e 4 rover is now visible to LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera)! Just beyond the tip of the right arrow is the rover and the lander is to the right of the tip of the left arrow. The image appears blocky because it is enlarged 4x to make it easier to see the two vehicles. North is to the upper right, LROC NAC M1303570617LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
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other photos acquired by LROC: Chang'e 3 Lander and Rover From Above
First Look: Chang'e 4
Chang'e 4 Lander Coordinates: The Chang'e 4 spacecraft set down between the two arrows at 45.457°S, 177.589°E, plus or minus 20 meters
On the Farside!
with scroll around function !
Chang'e 3 Lander and Rover From Above: with before/after switch between two LRO photos to clearly indicate the new object on the far side of the Moon
China improves Long March-6 rocket for growing commercial launches
11 February 2019
China announced 11 February that it is developing the modified version of the Long March 6 rocket with four additional solid boosters to increase its carrying capacity. The improved medium-left carrier rocket will be sent into space by 2020, according to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC), which designed the rocket.
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