China developing reusable rockets: deputy

(Ecns.cn)—-The possible reuse of rockets is currently being tested and "soon a plan will be formed," Liang Xiaohong, deputy to the 11th National People's Congress and Secretary of the Party Committee of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), said on Wednesday.

China currently uses "disposable" rockets that can conduct only single launches, unlike the U.S., where the Space Shuttle is capable of returning to Earth and carrying out a second mission.

"We will approach the goal by a tiered scheme," Liang continued. "First there will be the reuse of the rocket booster, then the first- and second-stage rockets, and finally we hope to make rockets capable of making round-trips between space and Earth."

China has made key technological progress in developing the Long March-5 large-thrust carrier rocket and is hopeful that the new generation rocket will make its maiden flight in 2014, Liang told the media earlier this month.

The Long March-5 rocket will more than triple China's rocket carrying capacity in outer space, with a maximum low Earth orbit payload capacity of 25 tons and a geosynchronous orbit payload capacity of 14 tons, according to Liang.