China designs giant rocket for Moon and Mars
The iSpace company has unveiled a super-heavy launch vehicle with a payload capacity of up to 100 tonnes and 33 engines on the first stage
The private Chinese company iSpace has begun developing the Hyperbola-9 rocket for crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and other deep-space missions.
The launch vehicle will be capable of delivering up to 100 tonnes of cargo to low Earth orbit. For lunar missions, its payload capacity will be 50 tonnes. The rocket’s diameter will reach 11 metres, and its liftoff thrust will be 7,000 tonne-forces.
The first stage will be equipped with 33 liquid oxygen and methane engines, each with a thrust of 300 tonne-forces. The second stage will feature four engines, including two vacuum-optimised ones, for orbital manoeuvres and heavy cargo delivery.
Hyperbola-9 will be reusable: the first stage is planned to be recovered via vertical landing, while the second stage will use aerodynamic braking. In parallel, the company is preparing the Hyperbola-3 rocket for commercial launches.
In 2026, iSpace planned to conduct the first orbital flight of Hyperbola-3 with stage recovery on a sea platform. Full-scale elements of the launch vehicle have now been manufactured, and testing is underway.
