China's Space Epoch Secures B-Round Funding, Intensifies Efforts for Pioneering Reusable Rocket Launch by 2026

HELSINKI - Ekhbary News Agency

China's Space Epoch Secures B-Round Funding, Intensifies Efforts for Pioneering Reusable Rocket Launch by 2026

Chinese commercial launch startup Space Epoch, officially registered as Beijing Jianyuan Technology Co., Ltd., has announced the successful completion of its Series B financing round. While the specific financial details remain undisclosed, the company confirmed on February 12 that the funding round attracted participation from several leading market-oriented institutions, a clear testament to investor confidence in its technological prowess and strategic vision. This significant capital injection is poised to propel Space Epoch into a new phase of large-scale development, with immediate plans for ground testing of its Yuanxingzhe-1 reusable rockets and a crucial orbital launch and recovery attempt on the horizon.

The announcement underscores China's burgeoning commercial space landscape, where private enterprises are increasingly playing a pivotal role in advancing the nation's space ambitions. Space Epoch's primary objective, as articulated in its recent statements, is to achieve a successful first orbital launch and recovery of its Yuanxingzhe-1 rocket by year's end, a critical precursor to its broader 2026 targets. This aggressive timeline highlights the intense competition within China's private space sector to master reusable launch vehicle technology, a capability currently dominated globally by companies like SpaceX.

Space Epoch's strategic industrial footprint, colloquially known as its “Beijing-Shandong-Hangzhou” layout, is designed for integrated efficiency. Beijing serves as the nerve center for research and development, focusing on core technology innovation, strategic planning, and market operations. Shandong province hosts the company's essential test and launch facilities, providing the critical infrastructure for rocket validation. Meanwhile, the Hangzhou facility consolidates three vital segments: manufacturing, recovery and reuse operations, and comprehensive inspection and testing. This sophisticated setup creates a closed-loop capability, streamlining the entire process from launch to recovery, inspection, and eventual relaunch, thereby maximizing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

At the heart of Space Epoch's ambitions is the Yuanxingzhe-1 (YXZ-1) rocket, a methane-liquid oxygen propelled vehicle specifically engineered for reusability. The company projects an impressive payload capacity of 13,800 kilograms to a 200-kilometer low Earth orbit and 9,000 kilograms to a 1,100-kilometer orbit. The latter altitude is particularly strategic, aligning with the requirements of China's national Guowang megaconstellation, indicating Space Epoch's potential role in critical national infrastructure projects. Furthermore, the company aims for a highly competitive launch price of no more than 20,000 yuan per kilogram (approximately $2,900 per kg), with the YXZ-1 designed for up to 20 reuses, a target that, if achieved, would dramatically reduce access-to-space costs.

The path to reusability is fraught with technical challenges, but Space Epoch has demonstrated notable progress. In May 2025, the company successfully conducted a vertical takeoff and splashdown test utilizing a YXZ-1 verification rocket, followed by a reuse test just two months later. These crucial early tests, which employed Longyun methane-liquid oxygen engines supplied by commercial firm Jiuzhou Yunjian, laid the groundwork for the more complex orbital attempts planned. The company had initially aimed for a launch and recovery test by the end of 2025, underscoring its rapid development pace and iterative testing approach.

Founded in 2022, Space Epoch represents a new wave of commercial Chinese launch startups. Its core research and development personnel are largely drawn from the esteemed China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), one of the primary manufacturers behind China's Long March rocket series under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). This pedigree provides a strong foundation of expertise and experience. Prior to its latest funding, Space Epoch secured a substantial 200 million yuan (approximately US$27.6 million) funding round in 2023, demonstrating consistent investor interest.

Beyond launch services, Space Epoch is actively diversifying its portfolio and exploring innovative applications of its technology. In 2024, it forged a strategic partnership with satellite operator Shifang Xinglian, with the ambitious goal of building a constellation of medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites. Perhaps even more intriguingly, the company has collaborated with Taobao, Alibaba’s prominent e-commerce platform, to investigate the feasibility of rocket-based express delivery—a concept that could revolutionize logistics and parcel delivery, albeit with significant technological and regulatory hurdles.

The competitive landscape in China's commercial space sector is intensifying. Space Epoch joins a growing list of private Chinese entities, including Galactic Energy, Space Pioneer, CAS Space, Orienspace, and Deep Blue Aerospace, all targeting the debut of potentially reusable rockets during 2026. Established players like iSpace are also pushing boundaries, with plans for its Hyperbola-3 launch and a sea recovery attempt this year following a record funding round. Even state-backed giants like Landspace and CASC have made their own initial orbital booster recovery attempts with the Zhuque-3 and Long March 12A, respectively. This vibrant ecosystem of innovation and competition is propelling China rapidly towards becoming a global leader in advanced space capabilities, with Space Epoch positioned to play a critical role in this transformative era.

Read more on Ekhbary News Agency