Two Chinese companies in two months successfully recovered their orbital booster rockets.
Reusable rockets mean far more frequent launches, at lower cost.
China had already made enormous strides in space, with quantum advances in satellite navigation, remote sensing, laser communications, and imagery.
The US Space Command is urgently attempting to build out new satellite constellations, and satellites with offensive capabilities.
But the supply chains for satellite manufacturing run through China’s rare earths industries, and aerospace contractors already face severe shortages and long production backlogs.
Closing scene, East Lake, Wuhan
Resources and links:
China becomes second country to recover orbital booster with Long March 10B
https://spacenews.com/china-becomes-second-country-to-recover-orbital-booster-with-long-march-10b/
China successfully lands its Zhuque-3 rocket, rivaling Blue Origin and SpaceX
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-successfully-lands-its-zhuque-3-rocket-rivaling-blue-origin-and-spacex/
China’s reusable rocket advances could strengthen the PLA’s space-based kill chain
https://interestingengineering.com/space/china-reusable-rocket-could-strengthen-the-pla-satellites
Why China’s reusable rocket breakthrough matters for the PLA’s ‘kill chain’
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3364878/why-chinas-reusable-rocket-breakthrough-matters-plas-kill-chain
WSJ, China Closes the Satellite Gap in Space Race With the U.S.
https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-closes-the-satellite-gap-in-space-race-with-the-u-s-12b432b0
U.S. Sanctions Chinese Satellite Firms It Says Helped Iran
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-war-trump-news/card/u-s-sanctions-chinese-satellite-firms-it-says-helped-iran-QmNTxxB4I6pV7VYAMThn
China’s Growing Armada Of Spy Satellites Is Pushing Space Force To Go On The Offensive
https://www.twz.com/space/chinas-growing-armada-of-spy-satellites-is-pushing-space-force-to-go-on-the-offensive
Iran Struck Prince Sultan and No One Was Required to Say So
https://houseofsaud.com/iran-psab-strike-managed-ambiguity/
Key E-3 AWACS Damaged in Iranian Attack on Saudi Air Base
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/key-e-3-awacs-aircraft-damaged-iranian-attack-saudi-air-base/
China’s Reusable Space Launch Booster Recoveries Have Major Military Implications
https://www.twz.com/space/chinas-reusable-space-launch-booster-recoveries-have-major-military-implications
New Anti-Satellite Weapons Now Officially A Top U.S. Priority
https://www.twz.com/space/new-anti-satellite-weapons-now-officially-a-top-u-s-priority
Space Force Picks 14 Firms to Compete to Build Reconnaissance Satellites
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-14-firms-compete-to-build-reconnaissance-satellites/
China Hits Back at US Sanctions on Tech Giants, Restricting Its Exports to American Defense Firms
https://www.military.com/china-hits-back-at-us-sanctions-on-tech-giants-restricting-its-exports-to-american-defense-firms
Nikkei, China hits dozens of US companies with export controls, procurement bans
https://asia.nikkei.com/economy/trade-war/china-hits-dozens-of-us-companies-with-export-controls-procurement-bans
Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire
https://www.csis.org/analysis/last-rounds-status-key-munitions-iran-war-ceasefire
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Missiles
https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/30/2003868787/-1/-1/0/PRESS RELEASE - SAUDI ARABIA 26-13 CN.PDF
China Makes High-Speed Laser Links in Orbit:
400-gigabit-per-second intersatellite comms reduce the need for ground stations
https://spectrum.ieee.org/satellite-internet-china-crosslink
Rare Earth Export Restrictions One Year Later
https://www.csis.org/analysis/rare-earth-export-restrictions-one-year-later
China’s “eyes” and Iran’s “fist”: Iran dumped GPS, switched to Beidou, and won the war
China commands 47% of remote sensing research, while U.S. produces just 9%
https://phys.org/news/2025-11-china-remote.html
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