China Moves To Deepen Commercial Space Sector With Focus On In-Space Manufacturing

by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Apr 28, 2026
The China National Space Administration has called for stronger support of commercial space development, with particular emphasis on emerging sectors including space-based computing power and in-space manufacturing, as the agency works to expand commercial application scenarios and establish viable closed-loop business models.

CNSA Director and Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Shan Zhongde chaired an enterprise roundtable in Beijing that brought together leaders from 14 commercial space companies. The firms represented a broad cross-section of the industry, spanning rocket development, satellite manufacturing, commercial launch services, satellite telemetry, tracking and control, constellation construction, and satellite applications.

Discussions at the roundtable covered development strategies, current challenges, and policy recommendations across several areas including research and production, licensing and access, launch applications, frequency coordination, in-orbit operations, and application promotion.

The meeting called for strengthening strategic planning and standards guidance, and improving the policy, regulatory, and standards framework governing the commercial space sector. Participants urged that specialized standardization committees for civil and commercial space be given a fuller role, including those covering rockets, satellites, launch sites, and radio frequencies.

Officials said efforts should be accelerated to formulate urgently needed standards, build public service platforms for commercial space, and adopt a one-stop approval model. The stated goal is to foster a development ecosystem that is both commercially dynamic and well-regulated.

On industrial capacity, the meeting said comprehensive efforts are required to tackle key technologies and cultivate high-caliber talent. It called for forward-looking arrangements targeting new business types such as space-based computing power and in-space manufacturing, and stressed the need to deeply expand commercial application scenarios while striving for closed-loop business models that can sustain themselves financially.

Safety was identified as a non-negotiable bottom line. The meeting demanded strict implementation of what it termed the three musts safety management principle, requiring that safety be ensured across industry, operations, and production. It called for strengthening precise safety controls across the entire chain and process, compiling quality and safety case studies, drawing lessons from past incidents, and enhancing experience sharing and training exchanges. High-level safety, the meeting concluded, must underpin high-quality development.

The meeting also highlighted the advantages of a nationwide system for mobilizing resources, urging that collective wisdom and effort be pooled to deepen integration and coordination along the full commercial space industrial chain.