China’s electric launch technology stems from a two-decade-old idea and could potentially make SpaceX’s chemical rockets obsolete
3-MIN READ3-MINChao Kongin BeijingPublished: 9:00am, 1 Jul 2026Updated: 9:04am, 1 Jul 2026With SpaceX completing the biggest public offering in history, Elon Musk’s reusable chemical rockets seem to be the only game in town for getting to space.But halfway around the globe, a little-known Chinese town tucked against the Tibetan Plateau could change all that.
In late March, the government of the city of Ziyang said a research facility successfully tested a high-temperature superconducting navigation system, which they said was a breakthrough in electromagnetic rocket launch technology.
“Many difficulties will be encountered during the implementation of this project, but it is feasible from an engineering perspective.”
