Unexpected! China even TESTED SpaceX Mechazilla Chopstick Clone But Fail...

ridiculous China appears to be sticking with its copycat strategy as they have taken further steps with a replica tower system however it's clear that this approach cannot rival SpaceX as the Starship system remains far ahead in progress meanwhile the future of NASA's Mars sample return project is on the verge of being decided let's Dive Right on in on today's episode of great SpaceX to cover these topics SpaceX demonstrated the groundbreaking potential of its mechazilla arm rocket catching system last October and all eyes are now on the company as It prepares to replicate this achievement during its seventh flight the effectiveness of this Innovative system is undeniable however following spacex's success a Chinese company Cosmo leap also known as dahong UA Chan has made headlines for its apparent efforts to replicate the Starship system system including the iconic Tower and Chopsticks mechanism recently Cosmo leip announced significant progress with its copycat system on X cnsa Watcher shared Cosmo leap's Chopsticks rocket recovery test tower has successfully completed static testing and system debugging with data matching simulation predictions and all system performance meeting expectations this announcement was backed by a more detailed update on webo a Chinese social media platform according to the official post the company's Chopstick holding rocket recovery test tower has successfully completed static testing and debugging key structural measurement data aligned with simulation predictions and the system's performance met all expectations the update included notable images of the Chopsticks system undergoing weight testing in these images Cosmo leip appeared to be using long cylindrical objects resembling metal blocks suspending them from the chopsticks with tethers this testing method Bears a striking resemblance to what SpaceX has done in the past during the development and operation of its megazilla Arm System SpaceX first conducted weight tests on the megazilla system in early 2022 shortly after completing installation later the company repeated these tests prior to flight 5 preparing for the super heavy boosters catching attempt SpaceX used six orange water bags three on each arm with each arm supporting 250 tons for a total load of 500 tons while the specific weight applied in Cosmo leops test remains unclear their Tower appears is less robust and their rocket is significantly smaller than Starship these differences suggest that their system is not only a copy but also a less capable one unsurprisingly the internet has been critical of Cosmo leip's efforts comments on their announcement ranged from skepticism to outright ridicule I'm curious if this company isn't a scam it's really ridiculous to build a tower and add a concept just to make money what a joke the tower doesn't even have control mechanisms or cables it looks like a simple steel structure who are they trying to fool and this one's my favorite why copy others come up with original ideas so you can afford patent fees in the future even Elon Musk couldn't resist commenting on the matter in November he simply wrote looks familiar meanwhile Jared isman NASA's new administrator was more direct in his criticism stating starship's rapid reusability and orbital refilling Mark a revolutionary leap in space capabilities The High Ground has always mattered military value economic potential and civiliz ation changing discoveries we can't ignore it and neither can China despite the backlash Cosmo leip seems undeterred in November the company announced it had secured $14 million or 100 million Yuan in funding from various investors to support the development of its Tower and related systems with the recent static test completed Cosmo leip appears close to finishing its Chopsticks Tower the next steps likely involve constructing orbital launch mounts and other necessary infrastructure the company aims to deploy its system as early as 2026 for its first launch however while Cosmo leap's Ambitions are clear their efforts are unlikely to pose a serious challenge to SpaceX the technological and operational gap between the two companies is immense spacex's systems are not just functional they are revolutionary the mechazilla arm is a prime example setting a standard for Innovation and efficiency that mere imitation cannot match China's aggressive strategy of replicating successful foreign Technologies has drawn criticism not only from from industry leaders but also from the public many view this approach as a shortcut that undermines genuine Innovation while Cosmo Lop may be able to mimic certain aspects of spacex's system they lack the underlying expertise and vision that have propelled SpaceX to the Forefront of the Aerospace industry meanwhile SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration the company's Relentless pursuit of rapid reusability and cost efficiency has set a new Benchmark for the entire industry its accomplishments are not just Milestones but Stepping Stones toward amen's long-term presence in space if you agree that Cosmo's efforts will fall short of challenging SpaceX reply I agree with Kevin in the comment section down below don't forget to like the video and subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on spacex's remarkable journey together let's continue to witness history being made in the meantime SpaceX continues to make remarkable strides in its quest to revolutionize space exploration based on the progress observed over the past year the company is on track for its highly anticipated flight 7 where it'll attempt to catch the Starship booster for the second time moreover plans are in place to catch the Starship itself as early as flight 8 potentially within this year to ensure success SpaceX is consistently upgrading its systems for instance the lifting pins for the Chopsticks have been replaced and the communication systems have been reinforced the orbital launch Mount and protective walls are regularly painted and strengthened every vehicle underg goes rigorous testing to guarantee reliability and Readiness for upcoming missions meanwhile preparations for future Milestones are in full swing at the launch site work on the pad B system is advancing steadily key components such as the olm Chopsticks flame bucket and water dude pipes are ready for installation nearby the tank farm system is being expanded to support the increasing demands of starship's operations at the production site the hardware for upcoming flights is already taking shape s34 appears to be complete while upper sections of S35 have been spotted for the super heavy B15 has has undergone cryogenic testing B16 seems construction ready and the first parts of B17 have recently been revealed additional projects such as the proposed gabay expansion demonstrate spacex's Relentless drive to scale its capabilities star Factory as well continues to operate at an unprecedented Pace testing at the Massie test site remains active ensuring that prototypes are ready for the rigorous demands of operational missions SpaceX is ambitiously targeting 25 Starship flights this year with plans to scale up to an astounding 400 flights in 2025 these goals underscore the company's leading position in the global Space Race in contrast China's efforts to compete face significant challenges despite its ambitious aspirations China's Aerospace initiatives are riddled with Technical and logistical issues their Tower systems appear unbalanced with chopsticks that are disproportionately large and long compared to their comparatively small Rockets such design miscalculations could lead to operational problems particularly during the critical rocket lifting process additionally China's construction of launch towers near residential areas raises substantial safety concerns posing risks to both people and property this issue highlights a long-standing problem within China's Aerospace industry where Innovation often takes precedence over safety furthermore their leap or uan rocket a blend of designed elements from spacex's Starship and Falcon 9 illustrates a problematic approach while incorporating features such as two stages nine engines stainless steel and methane fuel the design may result in conflicts and inefficiencies due to its lack of cohesion China's Aerospace sector also suffers from a lack of long-term vision and sustainability companies like Cosmo leap often emerge with rapid momentum but a single failure can lead to their Swift demise if Cosmo falters it risks Fading Into Obscurity reflecting the broader fragility of China's Aerospace Investments another news an important update regarding NASA's Mars samp return program has captured attention the program initially estimated at $3 billion in 2020 has ballooned to an 11 billion budget and is now delayed until 2040 these setbacks have raised questions about the program's viability and the US's competitive standing in space exploration NASA has called for proposals to reduce costs and accelerate the timeline and a crucial Audio Only press conference is scheduled for January 7th at 10000 p.m. Eastern to address the program program's future hosted by NASA administrator Bill Nelson and Associate administrator for science missions Nikki Fox the conference will outline NASA's efforts to achieve its goals while mitigating cost and complexity the current MSR plan involves collaboration with the European Space Agency or Isa together they aim to launch sample return vehicles to Mars retrieve samples collected by the perseverance Rover and bring them back to Earth however the Project's complexity has significantly escalated costs and delayed timelines China meanwhile has announced plans to return Mars samples by 2028 which is well ahead of NASA's revised schedule this intensifies the urgency for NASA to rethink its approach to the MSR program this challenge presents a golden opportunity for SpaceX and its Starship program with its rapid progress and Innovative capabilities SpaceX is uniquely positioned to assist NASA in overcoming these hurdles musk has expressed ambitious goals for Starship aiming for an uncrewed Mars mission within the next 2 years and a cruded mission within four starship's potential to dramatically reduce costs and simplify Mission architecture could be the key to revitalizing NASA's MSR program spacex's reusable Starship system offers unparalleled advantages its ability to carry large payloads coupled with its cost-effective design aligns perfectly with NASA's goals to lower expenses and risks by leveraging spacex's expertise expertise NASA could expedite its timeline and reassert its leadership in Planetary Exploration moreover such collaboration would enable the US to outpace China's aggressive timeline for Mars sample return as we await the outcome of the January 7th conference the stakes could not be higher the decision made will shape the future of NASA's MSR program and potentially redefine International Space competition with SpaceX already achieving Milestones that were once thought impossible stay tuned to the NASA press conference for updates and don't forget to support spacex's groundbreaking journey into the cosmos have you ever imagined a collaboration between rival companies SpaceX and blue origin while such a partnership seems impossible on the other side of the world China has seemingly made it happen through imitation a Chinese company has introduced a rocket that blends elements of both SpaceX and blue origin designs so what does this new rocket look like is it a groundbreaking Innovation or just another attempt by China to catch up with SpaceX and the United States additionally we'll provide an update on Europe's Vega SE schedule China has been developing rapidly for many years striving to catch up with the United States one of the strategies fueling this growth has been adopting and adapting the best systems worldwide among these SpaceX has undoubtedly been the most imitated evidence of China's imitation spans nearly every aspect of Aerospace technology Rockets spacecraft launch systems fuels materials and more recently another striking example of this trend emerged a private company called nauda space in cooperation with an organization known as Aerospace propulsion unveiled a new rocket system dubbed the space Chaser 1 or sunow one this rocket is a clear combination of Concepts from SpaceX and blue origin why do I make this claim let's start by examining the visual similarities at first glance the overall design of space Chaser 1 closely resembles spacex's Falcon 9 its black and white exterior immediately mirrors Falcon 99's iconic appearance the two-stage rocket has a similar height to diameter ratio along with a fairing on top for payload deployment in terms of specifications space Chaser 1 measures 67.3 m in height and 3.8 m in diameter with a liftoff thrust of 450 tons slightly less powerful than Falcon 9 the Rockets first stage is powered by nine Kang long one engines which provide 70 tons of thrust each the second St stage uses a single Kang long one vacuum engine this configuration mirrors Falcon 99's N9 engine first stage and single engine second stage additionally space Chaser 1 uses methalox Fuel and incorporates stainless steel in its construction much like spacex's Starship with these features the rocket is designed to deliver up to 10 tons to low earth orbit when reused however there's a Twist while the rocket is heavily inspired by Falcon 9 it also borrows elements from Blue Origins designs instead of using git fins for navigation and Landing as Falcon 9 does space Chaser 1 employs steering fins similar to Blue origins new Glenn rocket a more striking difference is the absence of Landing legs making space Chaser 1's recovery approach more akin to spacex's Starship than Falcon 9 without Landing legs the rocket relies on a catching system involving mechanical arms mounted on a tower this is essentially the same concept as starship's mechazilla arm system according to published Mission charts space Chaser 1's launch separation landing and recovery process closely follows starship's framework in addition to these design features nauda space highlighted an Innovative technology called pneumatic recovery the company claims this approach represents a new era of Rocket recovery technology 2.0 aimed at enabling coste effective reusable launches for people and cargo unlike Falcon 9 which Rel iies on its engines for deceleration during Landing space Chaser 1 will use aerodynamic principles to rapidly decelerate by increasing the Rockets drag to mass ratio it achieves a controlled descent without engine powerered braking nauda space Compares this technique to NASA's Space Shuttle and SpaceX Starship admitting their system draws inspiration from both notably the company plans to use this recovery method for both the first and second stages of space Chaser 1 achieving full recovery and complete reusability this represents a bold ambition as very few systems worldwide aim for 100% recovery in their announcement nauda space expressed confidence in the Technology's potential stating in the future pneumatic recovery technology will play a key role in enabling people and cargo to travel freely between the Earth and the sky it will contribute to the development of commercial space flight by making it a civilian means of transportation interestingly nauta space also included detailed analyses comparing their rocket to space SpaceX is Starship and Falcon 9 these comparisons aim to demonstrate the ADV the advantages of their chosen recovery method however it's clear that space Chaser 1's design heavily borrows from spacex's established Innovations whether this approach leads to meaningful breakthroughs or merely serves as another example of replication remains to be seen will space Chaser one succeed that's the million dooll question on paper the Rocket's specifications and reusability goals are impressive however de developing reliable systems for launch and Recovery requires more than copying existing designs it demands engineering Precision rigorous testing and operational expertise spacex's success stems not just from its innovative ideas but also from years of iterative development and hard-earned experience let me know what you think about the rocket will it succeed or fail Type S for success or F for failure in the comment section down below and don't forget to like And subscribe to our channel to keep up with all things SpaceX and Aerospace now in my opinion while this plan appears ambitious it is unlikely to surpass SpaceX and may ultimately fail first combining elements of SpaceX and blue origin rocket designs seems impractical for instance using a steering fin system for Tower Landing is less effective than spacex's git fins git fins Excel during the final navigation phase by ensuring precise orientation and stability especially when transitioning to vertical alignment for a catch by the Chopsticks in contrast steering fins as seen in blue origins new Glenn are better suited for conventional Landing systems or drone ship recoveries not complex Tower captures second attempting a catch mechanism for a smaller less powerful rocket seems unnecessary and overly complex this added complexity increases the risk of failure and lengthens refurbishment times for the Launchpad negating the efficiency benefits nauta space aims to achieve ironically what they perceive as Innovative strengths May ultimately Hind their progress due to poor execution and technological inexperience copying spacex's ideas might seem straightforward but in reality it is an immense challenge many companies that attempted to replicate spacex's success have failed often before their Rockets even reached the Launchpad while these Ventures might initially attract Investments a single failure often leads to investor withdrawal and bankruptcy now UDA space risks the same fate additionally copying multiple design designs and attempting to merge them into a single system highlights a lack of original thought this approach not only undermines long-term Innovation but also makes these Rockets less adaptable to unforeseen challenges Chinese companies like nauda space seem more focused on imitating success than developing unique Solutions leaving them vulnerable to stagnation and setbacks in conclusion despite nauda space's efforts to showcase the potential of its plan and its determination to out do the original Concepts the attempt feels more like an act of desperation time will tell if these plans lead to success or confirm the inherent flaws in their strategy now let's shift our Focus to Europe and examine the challenges surrounding Vegas's return tolight mission after nearly 2 days of delays Vega C is preparing to launch the Sentinel 1C spacecraft however the mission has experienced another slight postponement originally scheduled for December 3rd the launch is now set for December 4th arean space confirmed the delay was necessary to complete additional checks and activities on the flight VV 25 Vega C launcher the new launch attempt is scheduled for December 4th at 6:20 p.m. Kuru time or 9:20 p.m. UTC or 4:20 p.m. Eastern despite this Aryan space has assured that the payload remains inst stable and safe condition Defan Israel chief executive of Aran space downplayed the sign significance of the delay stating I don't think there is a lot to elaborate on we are talking about something which I would say has very limited consequences meanwhile Julio ranzo chief executive of Avio emphasized their commitment to thorough testing when we see something that we are not completely satisfied with we love to intervene and conduct more checks both leaders expressed confidence in the upcoming Vega SE Mission and highlighted their extensive preparations and system upgrades ranzo also noted significant progress in the design and manufacturing of the zepo 40 engine a crucial component of Vega C the two tests that we have performed and Joint work with the European space agency has revealed a very good performance of the zedal 40 with the new design he shared he further explained we have taken the time to increase the robustness in the design and more importantly in the manufacturing of the launcher over the last couple of years to make sure it will will be fully robust and flight worthy the return of Vegas C is a pivotal moment for Europe especially in conjunction with the upcoming First Flight of Aryan 6 planned for July these missions are expected to address what has been referred to as Europe's launcher crisis Tony tolker neelen issa's director of space Transportation underscored the mission's importance this is an important step for Europe's independent access to space or let's say reestablishment of this independent depent access to space however challenges remain I remain skeptical that Vegas SE will meet its revised timeline and the ongoing delays with both Vegas C and Aryan 6 highlight broader issues these setbacks have caused Issa critical opportunities particularly as European contracts increasingly shift toward SpaceX whose Rockets continue to operate reliably across the Atlantic without substantial progress Europe faces an uphill battle to reclaim its position in the space race let's see how Europe navigates these challenges and whether vac can truly deliver on its promise well folks that's about it for today's episode thank you so much for tuning in and as always this has been Kevin from great SpaceX until next time keep looking up