Aerospace-intensive events! The US carries out a crewed lunar orbit mission, and China's "Xiong'an-1" satellite is poised for launch.

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There has been intensive activity recently in the global aerospace sector, with China and the United States almost simultaneously releasing major signals.

According to CCTV News, on the evening of April 1 local time, NASA's new-generation lunar rocket 'Space Launch System' was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying out the 'Artemis II' manned lunar orbit mission. This is the first manned flight to the Moon by the United States since 1972, marking a new stage in human deep space exploration.

Meanwhile, according to Science and Technology Daily, China’s first “Xiong’an-made” satellite, “Xiong’an-1,” has rolled off the production line and is poised for launch, with breakthroughs in several key technologies and an accelerated formation of the commercial aerospace industry chain.

In the commercial satellite internet sector, the competitive landscape is also shifting. According to a WallstreetCN article, the Financial Times cited sources saying Amazon is negotiating to acquire satellite telecom operator Globalstar, aiming to challenge SpaceX’s Starlink in the low-Earth orbit satellite internet market.

On April 3, the 2026 Space Computing Industry Conference will be held in Beijing. CAS Space disclosed the maiden flight schedule for various product lines in its prospectus.

United States: Manned flight to the Moon again after half a century

This is the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 that the United States has sent astronauts to lunar orbit, marking a significant milestone.

On the commercial space front, Amazon is seeking to accelerate its catchup with SpaceX through the acquisition of Globalstar.

According to the WallstreetCN article, the Financial Times cited sources saying negotiations have been ongoing for a long time, but the two parties are still discussing several complex issues. There is no final agreement yet, and negotiations could change or break down.

One of the core obstacles to the acquisition is that Apple holds about 20% of Globalstar's shares, and Globalstar has promised to reserve 85% of its network capacity for Apple’s iPhone satellite messaging service, making the deal structure even more complex.

Amazon’s low-Earth satellite internet project is called "Leo," and currently has just over 180 satellites in orbit, far fewer than Starlink’s more than 10,000 active satellites. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told investors in February that Leo is one of the "incremental opportunities" the $2.2 trillion e-commerce giant will pursue.

China: Satellites, computing power, rockets advancing on multiple fronts

China’s commercial aerospace sector recently has seen breakthroughs at multiple points, from satellite manufacturing to space computing power to carrier rockets, with progress released at all segments of the industry chain.

The first "Xiong’an-made" satellite, "Xiong’an-1," underwent eight months of research, design, and production testing and came off the production line smoothly on October 22, 2025. It is now ready for launch. According to Science and Technology Daily, the satellite has made breakthroughs in three key technologies:

First, the "Baize" high-performance onboard computer, successfully breaking the satellite's "computing power bottleneck"; second, the "Chiyu" large-size flexible solar wing, effectively solving the "energy constraint" problem; third, the "Jinwu" new-generation Hall electric propulsion system, innovatively using argon gas for electric propulsion.

"Xiong’an-1" is the first satellite produced and completed in the Xiong’an New Area, marking a substantial step in commercial aerospace manufacturing there.

In terms of industrial ecology, the 2026 Space Computing Industry Conference will be held on April 3 at the Tongming Lake Convention Center in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (Yizhuang), attended by computing power leaders, satellite manufacturers, rocket manufacturers, and other representatives.

The conference will announce the establishment of the industry’s first “Space Computing Professional Committee” and launch the “Beijing Space Computing Innovation Center.” The Economic-Technological Development Area Management Committee will issue the “Space Computing Key Common Technology Challenge List.” The conference will feature three major topics covering the top-level design of space computing power, commercial aerospace, and core components, covering the entire ecological chain, reflecting China’s strategic layout for deeply integrating computing power with aerospace.

In carrier rockets, CAS Space disclosed detailed maiden flight schedules in its prospectus. For the Lijian series, the Lijian-2 heavy rocket is planned for its first flight in 2028, and the Lijian-3 in 2030; for reusable launch vehicles, the Lihong-2 is planned for its first flight between the end of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027, and the Lihong-3 in 2028.

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