The commercial aerospace sector is experiencing another significant positive catalyst.
According to the latest reports, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos that SpaceX aims to achieve full rocket reusability this year through its "Starship" technology. This breakthrough is expected to slash the cost of access to space by 99%, bringing it down to under $100 per pound.
Simultaneously, the domestic commercial aerospace industry in China has received favorable policy support. As announced on the Jiuquan Municipal People's Government website, the "Jiuquan Commercial Aerospace Industry Development Plan (2026-2035)" was recently released. The plan outlines Jiuquan's strategic positioning to build national bases for commercial launch services, aerospace research and testing, technical support for commercial spaceflight, and commercial aerospace data applications. It also establishes fundamental principles including industrial park support for cluster development, compatible and systematic support facilities, and high-efficiency collaboration for systemic innovation.
Musk's Latest Remarks
On January 22 local time, Musk made a rare appearance at the Davos Forum for a dialogue with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, where he elaborated on his vision for space exploration, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
Regarding space exploration, Musk stated that his company SpaceX hopes to achieve full reusability of rockets this year through the "Starship" technology.
He further indicated that if "Starship" can achieve full reusability, it would reduce the cost of reaching space to just 1% of current levels, ultimately bringing it below $100 per pound.
SpaceX has already demonstrated the ability to catch rocket boosters at the launch site, but has not yet attempted to recover and reuse a Starship spacecraft.
Concurrently, Musk discussed plans to launch AI satellites powered by solar energy within the next few years. He noted that due to consistent, abundant solar energy in space and the absence of atmospheric interference, solar panels in space would be five times more efficient than those on Earth.
He predicted that the most cost-effective location for deploying AI would be in space, a feat he believes could be realized within two to three years.
During the forum, Musk also mentioned the latest progress in Tesla's robotics efforts. He revealed that Tesla plans to start selling its humanoid robot, Optimus, to the public by the end of next year.
Musk also stated that Tesla's autonomous taxi service, Robotaxi, is expected to see large-scale deployment in the U.S. this year. "By the end of this year, this service will be very common across the United States," he said, adding that services without in-car safety supervisors have already begun in Austin, Texas.
Looking ahead, Musk predicted that by the end of this year or next year at the latest, AI will be "smarter than any human." He described his companies' overarching goal as "maximizing the probability that human civilization has a good future" and "extending consciousness beyond Earth."
On energy production, Musk stated that a solar panel array covering 100 square miles could power the entire United States. He disclosed that teams at SpaceX and Tesla are working towards establishing an annual solar manufacturing capacity of 100 gigawatts in the U.S. within approximately three years.
Jiuquan: To Build a National Commercial Aerospace Launch Base
Meanwhile, the domestic commercial aerospace industry in China has also received major policy support.
According to the Jiuquan Municipal People's Government website, the "Jiuquan Commercial Aerospace Industry Development Plan (2026-2035)" has been recently completed.
Centered on the overall vision of creating the "China Jiuquan Commercial Spaceport," the plan systematically elaborates on the significant importance of developing the commercial aerospace industry. It provides an in-depth analysis of industry trends, opportunities, current conditions, foundational capabilities, necessity, and feasibility, offering strategic guidance and an action plan for the high-quality development of Jiuquan's commercial aerospace sector.
The plan proposes Jiuquan's strategic positioning to build national bases for commercial launch services, aerospace research and testing, technical support for commercial spaceflight, and commercial aerospace data applications. It clarifies fundamental principles such as park-supported cluster development, compatible and systematic support, and high-efficiency collaborative innovation. The plan also sets development targets for Jiuquan's aerospace industry for the years 2030 and 2035.
Regarding industrial layout, the plan outlines a "One Port, Two Zones, Multi-Point Linkage" structure. Guided by the principle of serving "national aerospace needs with Jiuquan's industrial capabilities," it proposes fostering seven key industries: launch services and testing; rocket manufacturing and testing; satellite manufacturing, testing, and application; aerospace data backup and application; aerospace technical support; aerospace logistics; and aerospace-themed tourism. To ensure effective implementation, the plan also proposes seven key initiatives: an investment promotion campaign, a project development breakthrough drive, industrial park quality enhancement, comprehensive support guarantees, sci-tech finance empowerment, and an aerospace brand elevation effort.
The plan further proposes five safeguard measures to ensure the orderly and healthy development of Jiuquan's aerospace industry: strengthening organizational leadership, reinforcing policy support, optimizing the business environment, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and preventing and mitigating risks.
China Galaxy Securities stated that, based on the proportional structure of the global satellite industry, China's downstream sectors—including ground equipment manufacturing and satellite services—are projected to contribute approximately 13 trillion yuan in related output value by 2030. Combined with the midstream and upstream segments of satellite manufacturing and launch services, the entire industrial chain presents vast market potential.
The commercial aerospace industry is entering a golden era driven by both demand-side and supply-side forces. China Galaxy Securities suggests focusing on two key areas. First, satellite launches: private rocket companies are developing rapidly, and the industry chain is in a transitional phase from national to commercial aerospace; attention should be paid to suppliers of structural components. Second, satellite manufacturing: current low-earth orbit satellite efforts are concentrated on building space segment and ground segment infrastructure, making satellite manufacturing a short-term focus. Upstream and midstream subsystem and material suppliers, which directly support mass satellite production, are poised to benefit first.
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