Demonstration of the sub-orbital aerospace transportation system Photo: Courtesy of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

China has officially granted state approval for the development of the sub-orbital aerospace transportation system, which by completion could realize global delivery within one hour and lay the foundation for space travel for the general public, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the country's top rocket manufacturer that filed for the application, on Thursday. 

According to the post on the CALT official WeChat public account on Thursday, the project for the general design and control technology for the sub-orbital aerospace transportation system has passed reviews and gained approval, citing a notice released by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

It was the first major aerospace project to have been enlisted in the NSFC's discipline of transportation vehicle engineering under its engineering and materials science department, according to the CALT. 

Long March-8 chief designer Song Zhongyu, who oversees the new project, was quoted in the CALT post as saying that rapid, long-range transportation has become a heated issue in recent years.

Song cited the SpaceX Super Heavy-StarShip as an example, which has drawn billions of dollars in investment and aims to provide commercial services for global delivery within one hour by 2028. Also, Song mentioned the US air force developing a similar project for quick global delivery of strategic deployment. 

According to CALT, once put into use, the sub-orbital aerospace transportation system could possess the capability of intercontinental arrival in a few hours, and lay the foundation for new industries such as rapid global delivery as well as space travel for the general public. 

The CALT post concerning the sub-orbital transportation system came soon after the Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute, a subsidiary of the 6th Academy of the state-owned aerospace giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) announced on Wednesday that for the first time, the country had completed a verification flight test on a domestically developed reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine, which marked a major breakthrough in engine reusability development.

The academy's confirmation of the reusable engine flight test came less than a month after China's announcement of a successful test of a self-developed, reusable sub-orbital vehicle on August 26.

Space observers hailed the approval for development as showing that China has made major advances in technology readiness and maturity in the fields of spacecraft reusability.