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J.K. Lund's avatar

I probably need to pay closer attention to the Chinese space launch industry. Very interesting that it's so, for lack of a better term, fragmented, even compared with the US.

This leads to some great questions as to why this happens in so many industries in China. This isn’t judgment, good or bad, but China seems unique in always having such intense, cutthroat competition in industrial sectors.

The US auto industry in 1910, for example, began with dozens of startups vying for the market, which consolidated into half a dozen companies ~25 years later.

China’s auto industry had a similar startup moment around the year 2000, yet 25 years later, it has not consolidated. For every company that failed or got bought out, another startup took its place.

Why does this happen? Certainly, this intense competition is leading to more rapid innovation that otherwise might occur and drives down prices more rapidly. Once Chinese launch companies crack reuse, China could quickly dominate space access.

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Godfree Roberts's avatar

Fascinating stuff as always. Thanks!!

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