China revealed new commercial carrier rockets to compete with India for global market

China has unveiled its new generation of commercial carrier rockets which could carry up to 1.5 tonne payload as it gears up to compete with India to attract the profitable global space launch market.

The new Long rocket series comprises a cluster of solid fuelled rockets code-named the Smart Dragon (SD) family, and a Tenglong liquid-propellant rocket were unveiled on Sunday by the China Rocket, a commercial space wing of the country’s leading rocket-maker China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, official media reported on Monday.

The new set of rockets were aimed at tapping the growing potential of domestic and global commercial space launches.

China which has an established space programme with mission to Moon has elaborate plans to extend its mission to Mars besides setting up its own permanent space station by 2022.

It however lags behind in attracting the global commercial rocket market unlike India.