Evidence from a state-funded tender for tank tooling, a delivered stainless steel forging, and launch pad planning suggests China is developing 7-meter-diameter reusable rockets.
The 7-meter diameter represents a significant leap from China's current rocket designs, potentially enabling heavier payloads to orbit. The stainless steel forging points to a stainless steel rocket structure, similar to SpaceX's Starship.
China has not officially announced the program, but the procurement documents and infrastructure plans hint at an active development phase. The launch pad modifications suggest testing could begin within a few years.
A rocket of this scale would position China to compete directly with SpaceX's Starship and NASA's SLS for heavy-lift missions. It could support crewed lunar missions, large satellite constellations, or deep space exploration.
If successful, the program would mark a major step in China's reusable rocket capabilities, though timeline and technical hurdles remain unclear without official disclosure.