The Chinese authorities have issued a warning that rocket recovery operations will be conducted in certain areas of the South China Sea this week, during which vessels are prohibited from entering.
According to information released on the website of the China Maritime Safety Administration, the Sansha Maritime Safety Administration announced a navigation warning: from February 10 to 12, rocket recovery operations at sea will take place in four areas of the South China Sea, with entry forbidden.
Currently, China and the United States are engaged in intense competition in the fields of aerospace and technology, with rocket recovery seen as a key component. However, Chinese companies have not yet achieved rocket recovery.
Globally, the only company to have truly mastered reusable rocket technology and realized its large-scale application is SpaceX, founded by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Its Falcon 9 launch vehicle carries out about 150 launches per year, averaging nearly three times a week, and a single booster can be reused dozens of times if conditions allow.