Beijing approves giant Long March 9 rocket for deep-space and lunar base runs

South China Morning Post · Ling Xin · 2026-11-06 11:04 UTC

Maiden flight is set for 2030, with ground construction already under way at Hainan’s Wenchang assembly complex.

Beijing has given the go-ahead for the Long March 9, a super heavy rocket often seen as China’s answer to SpaceX’s Starship, weeks after the American megarocket first reached orbit, according to a lecture slide circulating online.

The stainless-steel giant received official approval last month, according to the slide. At 110 metres (361 feet) tall and 10.6 metres wide, it will be the most powerful and expensive launcher China has ever built.

The slide, presented in the northwestern city of Xian by a researcher from the country’s main state-owned rocket maker, shows the Long March 9 is set to make its maiden flight in 2030. It will haul big loads to the moon and Mars, and help build solar power stations in space.

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