Alibaba Group Holding, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has confirmed a partnership with Space Epoch, a Beijing-based rocket developer, aimed at revolutionizing global express deliveries. The collaboration seeks to enable the delivery of goods anywhere in the world within just one hour (via South China Morning Post).
Space Epoch's rocket, known as the XZY-1, boasts impressive capabilities, providing cargo space of up to 120 square meters and the capacity to carry payloads of up to 10 tonnes. This cargo rocket can even load massive items such as small trucks.
Alibaba and Space Epoch to Start Rocket Delivery Service Tests Soon
(Photo : GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)
An Alibaba sign is seen outside the company's office in Beijing on April 13, 2021.
Despite the ambitious nature of the project, both Alibaba and Space Epoch are fully committed to realizing this vision. Alibaba's Taobao marketplace will be working closely with Space Epoch to conduct early trial stages of rocket delivery, with plans to utilize reusable rockets that can land on the sea for maximum efficiency.
Acknowledging the challenges ahead, Space Epoch emphasized that achieving the one-hour delivery goal will not be easy in the short term. However, both companies view this initiative as a vital experiment for the future of global logistics. "Many great endeavors seem like a joke at first," Alibaba told the South China Morning Post, confirming the partnership.
Space Epoch has garnered substantial support for its mission, having secured over US$41.5 million in funding from investors including GSR Vision Capital and Jinsha Capital.
President Xi Jinping's strategic emphasis on expanding industries such as commercial space has boosted the effort. The Chinese leader has advocated for the expansion of the commercial space industry, which is viewed as critical to the development of satellite constellations for communications, defense, and more.
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(Photo : Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
US General Stephen Whiting warns of China's space advances, urging upgrades to safeguard American interests, as China dismisses concerns and emphasizes peaceful cooperation.
Rocket Express Delivery: The Future of Shipping
While this partnership marks a notable step forward, it is worth noting that the concept of rocket-based cargo delivery is not entirely new. The US Air Force has previously explored similar concepts, including discussions with SpaceX about rapid global cargo delivery via the company's Starship in 2020.
Space Epoch's ambitions extend beyond express parcel delivery, with plans to develop larger rockets capable of launching payloads into orbit. The company aims to utilize methane engines from fellow Chinese startup Jiuzhou Yunjian, streamlining the development process.
In related news, another Chinese startup, the Orienspace, recently made waves in the space industry by successfully launching the powerful Gravity-1 rocket in January
In 2023, China had 17 commercial launches, one of which failed, and a new record of 67 orbital launches. This was up from ten commercial launches in 2022, including two failures.
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