One of China’s latest commercial launch companies has secured early funding as it aims to develop a launcher featuring first and second stage reuse.
Nayuta Space is developing a series of stainless steel rockets named Black Bird, referring to a creature from Chinese mythology rather than the common blackbird. The Xuanniao-1 (Black Bird-1) will use nine Canglong-1 methane-liquid oxygen engines developed by Beijing Aerospace Propulsion Technology Co. Ltd., a commercial rocket engine maker founded in 2018.
The first stage will, unlike the Falcon 9 for instance, not use a reentry burn, instead relying on “aerodynamic recovery,” using the atmosphere and positioning of the stage to do most of the deceleration.
Nayuta Space also aims for a Starship chopstick-style catch of the first stage, called an “eagle grab,” thus saving mass through not needing landing legs.
Second stage recovery is a more distant goal.
Nayuta Space stated in January 2024 that it aimed for launch of a reusable suborbital rocket in 2025 and a first orbital flight of a Black Bird-1 in 2026.
Slides of the company’s plans from 2023 indicate the launcher will be capable of carrying 10 tons to low Earth orbit when reused.
Do it! More people trying reuse is great. There will be a culling of a bunch of these companies at some point, but, until then, people trying different concepts or even slight variations is good to see.
There’s a nice table in the article comparing several of the upcoming Chinese rockets. There are quite a few!