China wants to launch space tourism by 2031
The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) just announced big plans: they want to send tourists on suborbital space trips within five years.
The state-owned CASC is also eyeing orbital tourism and building massive digital infrastructure in space.
Why does this matter?
China's commercial space scene is booming—with more than 600 commercial space companies, with annual financing reaching 18.6 billion yuan, and startups like InterstellOr aiming for suborbital flights (think: a few minutes of weightlessness for about $430,000 per ticket).
They've already signed up their first commercial tourist, Qiu Heng, while other private firms have completed successful test flights.
Beyond tourism, China is filing to launch thousands of satellites—directly challenging SpaceX's lead in low Earth orbit—and pushing reusable tech to make future missions cheaper.
There's even talk of a "New School of Interstellar Navigation" to back up lunar exploration after their Chang'e-6 moon mission.
If you're into the future of travel (or just love a good space race), this is one to watch.