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KZ series launch vehicle has completed the first commercial rocket launch; Tiankun-1 has successfully explored space-based Internet; CASIC has created a new pattern of “Five Special Aerospace Projects and T-Flight”, established a national commercial aerospace industry base, and activated social capital for crowd funding and joint construction...
This is a new chapter in the field of commercial aerospace written by CASIC as a military enterprise with a long history.
From Arrangement to Achievement
“Commercial aerospace industry has huge commercial value. At present, China’s space technology has reached a critical stage for the realization of a wide range of commercial applications. National support policies have been introduced, and China has basically formed the commercial aerospace climate.”
In October 2015, Gao Hongwei, the Chairman of CASIC, gave an incisive explanation at the first session of the China Business Aerospace Summit sponsored by CASIC, arousing widespread resonance.
In recent years, over 2,000 space technology achievements have been applied to various sectors of the national economy in China, having far-reaching effects on many areas of the national economy and social life. Gao pointed out the necessity and feasibility of developing commercial aerospace in China.
Subsequently, CASIC released a series of commercial aerospace development plans-to build a national commercial aerospace technology innovation and entrepreneurship zone, to enhance the commercial level of KZ series launch vehicle, and plan “Star of Happiness” system with space-based Internet access as its main goal. These frequently mentioned words such as “profitability”, “cheap” and “cost-effectiveness” have made China aerospace to step down the “altar” and be integrated into ordinary people’s lives.
In 2016, at the second China Business Aerospace Summit Forum, CASIC proposed a plan, which would mainly rely on the Wuhan National Space Industry Base to implement the five major commercial aerospace projects and further push forward commercial aerospace from the an unfamiliar area to ordinary people’s lives.
Unlike the development of traditional space industry dominated by national investment, CASIC is aware that we must give full play to the enthusiasm of the government, business and society to develop China’s commercial aerospace.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, CASIC has adhered to the development idea of “three innovation”, focusing on developing industries with subversive and alternative technologies, relying on the space cloud network platform to set up a “commercial aerospace zone”, releasing the project cooperation and supporting collaboration guidelines in batches to the public, and choosing partners in accordance with mutually beneficial business rules.
“Whether it is the industry peer, research institute, university, local government, entrepreneurial team, or state-owned enterprise, non-state owned enterprise, private enterprise, foreign enterprise, CASIC will cooperates with it/them without discrimination.” Gao said.
Liu Shiquan, a vice President of CASIC, said that the commercial aerospace industry has not only directly driven the development of related industries such as satellites, launch vehicle manufacturing and launch, communications and navigation equipment, but also will further integrate mobile Internet, IoT and smart city construction in the future, forming a new economic growth point.
Commercial aerospace has gradually become a new driving force for the development of China’s space industry.
Growing Commercial Launch
KZ series launch vehicle has been born to serve commercial aerospace launches. Over the past five years, its rapid development has given hope to China’s commercial aerospace’s “ice-breaking journey”.
On January 9, 2017, the small solid launch vehicle “KZ-1A” sent 3 satellites into orbit successfully-one launch in commercial aerospace market where CASIC has had rapid development.
Different from the previous space launch mode, KZ-1A, as one pure commercial aerospace launch, only spent eight and a half months from the signing of the launch service contract to the completion of the launch. With the new organizational model and short preparation time, KZ-1A is considered to be a new step for China in the field of commercial aerospace. This is also the third launch for KZ series rockets. In the year 2013 and 2014, KZ-1 rocket had already successfully sent two earth observing satellites of “KZ-1” and “KZ-2” into the orbit, taking the lead of successful satellite launch with solid launch vehicle in China.
Meanwhile, CASIC has adopted a series of orderly measures to accelerate the industrialization of commercial launch, which has enabled the rapid development of China’s commercial aerospace industry in the initial stage.
In February 2016, ExPace Technology, the first professional rocket company conducting research, development and application according to the business model, was incorporated in Wuhan. ExPace Technology vigorously promoted the signing of commercial launch orders for “KZ-1” and “KZ-10”, bringing KZ series launch vehicle and launch system to the commercial level.
In the age of the Internet, in order to provide smaller satellites and microsatellite customers with newer and better “one-stop” customer experience, CASIC has also pioneered the “KZ” model of commercial aerospace launch services. With method of technological innovation and standardized thinking, CASIC introduces the efficient and flexible experience and technology of private enterprises, and widely absorbs social capital and market participation, comprehensively enhancing the reliability and cost performance of rockets.
According to the plan, the first flight of more powerful KZ-11 rocket will be made in a manner of “One Vehicle with Multi Satellite Launch”. According to the new R & D model of “quality management of space enterprises + flexible operation of private enterprises”, the production cycle of KZ-11 single product was reduced from 3 months to 1 month, and the overall cost was reduced by over 50%.
With the characteristics of high efficiency, low price, excellent quality and excellent service, KZ has caused a heated debate about commercial aerospace in the industry, and has also become one of the name card for commercial aerospace.
Bring the New Commercial Aerospace Pattern of Five Commercial Aerospace Projects
Following the good start of the commercial aerospace launch in January 2017, the first satellite “Tiankun-1” independently-developed by CASIC entered the scheduled orbit on the morning of March 3, 2017. The move marks CASIC has ability to independently develop various types of typical space vehicles and platforms, which will be applied to commercial aerospace launches.
On September 2016, CASIC proposed five commercial aerospace projects of Feiyun, Kuaiyun, Xingyun, Hongyun and Tengyun at the 2nd session of China Commercial Aerospace Forum. Among them, the Hongyun project, originated from the “Star of Happiness” Plan proposed by CASIC previously, is planned to launch 156 satellites for networking, to build a broadband mobile Internet.
As for “Hongyun” project, the establishment of the low-orbit broadband Internet access system based on small satellites was proposed for the first time in China. The combination of “small satellites”, “l(fā)ow orbit” and “broadband” aims to meet the requirements of commercial development.
As the forerunner of the three-step plan, Tiankun-1 laid the technical foundation for boosting the commercial aerospace project represented by the Hongyun project, creating a feasible path for the performance of follow up plan in a timely and orderly manner.
In addition to the Hongyun project, in their respective fields, the Feiyun project corresponds to the UAV-borne area network and its application projects; the Kuaiyun project corresponds to the adjacent space-borne airship LAN and its application projects; the Xingyun project corresponds to the space-borne narrow-band global mobile IoT and its application projects; Tengyun project corresponds to the reusable shuttle vehicle and its application projects. The five “commercial aerospace areas” of CASIC involve thousands of subprojects and subsystems. It is estimated that the investment will exceed 100 billion yuan and the output will also exceed 100 billion yuan.
T-Flight plan is followed by the “Five Commercial Aerospace Projects”. At the 3rd session of China Commercial Aerospace Forum, CASIC announced it had carried out the research demonstration about the T-Flight and intended to combine the supersonic flight technology with the rail transit technology with the commercial and market-oriented modes, develop the new-generation transportation means, devoting to the supersonic low-altitude flight. As the next-generation transportation system, the T-Flight is fermenting a technological revolution that changes the way of life for all human beings, to finally establish a new name card of China following the aerospace, high-speed train and nuclear power.
The T-Flight together with “Feiyun”, “Kuaiyun”, “Xingyun”, “Hongyun” and “Tengyun” have brought about a new commercial aerospace pattern.” Since the 18th CPC National Congress, CASIC has a clearer blueprint for development in the field of commercial aerospace after years of practice and exploration.
Crowd Funding and Win-Win Outcome
Over the past five years, “informatization, socialization, marketization and internationalization” have become the keywords for CASIC in developing commercial aerospace. While devoting itself to exploring and innovating advanced technologies in the aerospace industry, CASIC is also creating market opportunities and economic value.
Gao once elaborated the concept of CASIC’s commercial aerospace on multiple occasions. To develop commercial aerospace, it is necessary to gather collaborative effort and continue to break through the “shackle” of traditional space, building CASIC into the one “mobilizing the wits of whole society in the development of overall design institute, overall design department and final assembly plant”.
Wuhan National Aerospace Industrial Base, as one of the resource gathering centers, is China’s first state-level commercial aerospace industry base. On April 24 this year, Wuhan National Aerospace Industrial Base was formally commenced. The zone, occupying an area of about 10,000 mu, is attracting the superior power of society, technology, industry, capital and others to promote the overall development of commercial aerospace.
In the future, more social resources will be further developed and applied. CASIC will take the new generation space launching and application as the core, focus on the development of leading industries such as launch vehicles and launching services, satellite platform and load, space information application, aerospace ground equipment and manufacturing through scientific and technological innovation, commercial mode innovation and management innovation; and drive the development of basic space industries at the same time, such as autonomous and controllable information technology, intelligent manufacturing, new materials and new energy; eradiating the extended industries including big data, smart industry and intelligent equipment, to make an all-out effort to build commercial space industry clustering with complete system and prominence being given to the key points.
It is expected that at the end of the “13th Five-Year Plan”, 100~150 enterprises engaged in aerospace science and industry and other relevant enterprises will be settled down in the Industry Base, achieving the annual output value of RMB 30 billion. Companies with advantages in these areas will achieve great achievements in Wuhan National Aerospace Industry Base.
For CASIC, the Internet-connected thinking is a hidden and powerful driving force behind the commercial aerospace. The “Crowd Funding” is introduced to develop commercial aerospace, which is an active choice for CASIC to adapt to the development trend in the Internet era.
“Crowd Funding”, as a new financing mode that can break through the channels of traditional sources of funds, injects new vitality to the whole commercial aerospace. On January 10, 2017, CASIC, together with Hubei Yangtze River Economic Zone Industry Guide Fund, Wuhan municipal government investment platform and other social capitals, initiated and set up the Yangtze River Aerospace Fund with the total scale of RMB 10 billion. The initial financing capital of RMB 2.58 billion has been fully funded.
On April 24, 2017, Aerospace Science & Industry Financial Leasing Co.,. Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “ASIFL”) formally puts its business into application. The Aerospace Science & Industry Financial Leasing Co.,. Ltd. held by the aerospace central enterprise was funded and established by six central enterprises, local state-owned enterprises and financial institutions jointly. The initial registered capital is RMB 3 billion.
A specialized financial company is like a personal “financial nanny” for companies involved in commercial space, and will provide full-cycle financial leasing services for all types of companies in commercial aerospace and civil-military inosculation.
Meanwhile, the closed central thinking has been broken, and open and shared dividends are being released to more companies. On China’s first Internet platform INDICS constructed by CASIC, the commercial aerospace area will attract industrial enterprises as partners, to become participants in commercial aerospace, and then promote the concentrated development of commercial aerospace industry, building an open cooperation and win-win outcome commercial aerospace industry.
At present, the commercial aerospace area is raising partners for industry peers, research institutes, universities, local governments, entrepreneurial teams and financial institutions, which will further enhance the efficiency of the allocation of scientific research resources and operational efficiency of commercial aerospace production capacity.
In the era of big data, shared Internet is lighting up the “single spark” of commercial space. Technology tools and online platforms bring together thousands of innovator and entrepreneurs scattered across the society, and integrate various resources scattered across millions of companies in the society to accurately find business opportunities and users using data, thus exploring the boundless well-being that commercial aerospace can bring to the nation and ordinary people from the vast ocean of information.
In the tide of commercial aerospace development, CASIC will further build a commercial aerospace innovation ecosystem, promote the accelerated development of commercial aerospace industry, and continue to enhance the influence of China’s commercial aerospace in the aerospace field at home and abroad, exploring the depth and width of China’s commercial aerospace industry.
