Chinese commercial space firms court global partners at international space congress

Hundreds of commercial space companies have gathered in Türkiye for the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), where Chinese firms are expanding into the global market, combining exports with knowledge transfer for their partners.

The five-day IAC, the world's largest annual space gathering, is being held in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, drawing space leaders, researchers and industry representatives from across the globe under the theme "The World Needs More Space."

The event features sessions on the industry's key priorities, from lunar exploration and satellite systems to artificial intelligence, space security and international cooperation. Chinese exhibitors are showcasing capabilities across that spectrum -- from rockets and satellites to data services -- as they pursue new partners and markets.

A growing number of Chinese space firms are offering launch services, satellite components and one-stop solutions as they look to tap into markets across the world together with international partners. The congress has also become a prime venue for exchanges and cooperation. One Chinese commercial space company has signed a new agreement on AI satellites with its Omani partner -- a deal that both sides say goes beyond the hardware.

"We are also announcing the launch of upcoming two new satellites with 0.5 [meter] resolution, further advancing our capability within the space industry in Oman and in the region, especially when it comes to knowledge transfer, [which] is really essential for our capacity building," said Yahya Al-Mohamed, Solutions Manager of Oman Lens.

"While we are working with Oman, not only do we design and build satellites, but we also help train their local talent, the idea is not to directly export satellites, but we also want to help the local scientists grow, that is the idea: we grow people, grow the talent, grow the ability locally, so this will be part of their ecosystem," said Liu Yandong, CEO of STAR.VISION, a Hong Kong-based company that builds AI-powered satellites.

As more countries and satellite operators race to deploy constellations of their own, demand is climbing for the data processing and ground station services needed to keep them running.

"We [have] already established around 10 global ground stations overseas. We want to leverage these capabilities and network to introduce the solutions, services and products of our partners in China's aerospace industry," said Li Chenhui, director of the International Business Department of Beijing-based commercial satellite company Emposat.

Alongside ground services, manufacturers are also under growing pressure to build payload systems that integrate the distinct roles satellites serve today, from remote sensing and communication to navigation.

"Because we design from the chip level to the device level, and subsystem and satellite levels, with four levels of research and development we are able to to cut down the cost and increase the performance dramatically," said Chen Jinlin, CEO of Final Frontier.

Beyond satellites, firms at the congress are also promoting commercial spacecraft designed for microgravity research, a field expected to generate strong demand in the years ahead.

"We will have the maiden flight of our Lihong-2 suborbital recoverable spacecraft early next year. It's for a space medicine research mission, so we do have a lot of Middle Eastern potential clients. We are talking with them and hopefully there will be some good news," said Yang Sihan, head of International Business at China's commercial rocket company CAS Space.

China is home to more than 600 commercial space enterprises across the supply chain and as the deals and conversations in Antalya show, they are increasingly looking to reshape the global space economy together with international partners.

Chinese commercial space firms court global partners at international space congress

As the conflict in the Gaza Strip enters its third year, Palestinians are facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis marked by widespread destruction, severe shortages, and systemic displacement.

Amid the widespread destruction, they are navigating their individual stories of loss, injury, and displacement as they are struggling to rebuild their lives.

Before the conflict which erupted in October 2023, painting was Areej Al-Saafin's passion. However, her brother was killed and her family home was damaged. Al-Saafin and her mother are among the more than 174,000 Palestinians wounded in the war. Having lost one eye, the artist said the trauma has profoundly changed her perspective and her craft.

"As a woman in Gaza, I am destroyed psychologically and physically. I no longer have the same passion as before. Physically, I lost my eye, and I can't focus on painting like I used to," Al-Saafin said.

While large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble, some residents are finding their ways to restart their businesses amid the destruction. In eastern Gaza City, Basel Al-Batsh operates a small recycling workshop, producing parts that have become increasingly difficult to obtain due to closed crossings. His own factory was destroyed in the war, forcing him to start over with fewer resources.

"We collect aluminum from the rubble of destroyed homes and recycle it into parts that are no longer allowed into Gaza through the closed crossings, such as generator components and spare parts for cars and trucks," Al-Batsh said.

For others, rebuilding means regaining basic mobility. Omar Halawa was twelve when an Israeli airstrike cost him his right leg. Now thirteen, he is among thousands of war-related amputees in a territory which the United Nations says is home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history. Halawa is still waiting for a suitable prosthetic leg.

"I dream of living a good life in a safe place and getting a prosthetic leg so I can walk normally, play football with my friends and go swimming," Halawa said.

Meanwhile, some women who lost limbs in the conflict have begun their journey back to the football pitch. On a field in central Gaza, young women train on crutches as part of Palestine's first women's amputee football team. Among them is 24-year-old Rozan Khaira, a former runner.

"I joined the team because I was already an athlete. Sports have been part of my life since childhood, and my family is also very athletic. Losing my leg will not stop me from pursuing my dreams and favorite hobbies," Khaira said.

The war has taken a massive toll on the younger generation, with more than 21,000 Palestinian children killed since the conflict began. For some displaced children, recovery is taking the form of music. Inside temporary learning spaces, they are finding a different sound from the war around them, using music to learn, play, and feel like children again. Ghazal Abu Jibba is learning to play the violin.

"We now come every day because the music makes us feel better, especially given the conditions we are living through. We want the war to end so that we, as children, can live in peace and safety," Abu Jibba said.

Across the devastated enclave, tens of millions of tonnes of rubble remain, standing in the way of reconstruction. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's vision of turning Gaza into what he called the "Riviera of the Middle East", a plan linked to the relocation of Palestinians, has met widespread rejection. Despite the ruins, many remain determined to stay on their land.

After three years of war, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed, and most of Gaza's homes have been destroyed or damaged. Yet amid the loss and pain, Gazans continue to rebuild their lives, holding on to the hope for a better future.

Palestinians in Gaza struggling to rebuild their lives amid widespread destruction