Commercial space is an emerging industry prioritized in Anhui Province’s 15th Five‑Year planning. Recently, the General Office of the Anhui Provincial People’s Government issued the “Anhui Province Action Plan for Accelerating the Development of the Commercial Space Industry (2026–2028),” which explicitly focuses on directions such as reusable rockets, mass satellite manufacturing, payload innovation, and constellation construction and operation, and aims to rapidly build a commercial space industry system that is distinctive, chain‑complete, and ecologically coordinated.

The plan proposes seven major initiatives: enhancing innovation capacity, promoting flagship products, supporting infrastructure, nurturing and cultivating operating entities, developing application scenarios, concentrating industrial layout, and improving industry ecosystem quality. It aims to, by 2028, cultivate more than 200 enterprises above designated size and achieve an industry scale exceeding RMB 70 billion.

The plan calls for accelerating the development of a number of iconic commercial space products to elevate the industry’s level and promote industrial clustering.

Emphasizing the driving role of large constellations, the plan proposes designing and deploying the “Nebula Constellation,” accelerating the construction and operation of various constellations such as the “Tianqi Constellation,” and building an “Anhui Constellation” system.

Improve the level of smart satellite manufacturing, drive innovation in satellite payloads, and strengthen the capability to develop Anhui satellites.

Develop high‑thrust reusable rockets, create engines such as “Longyun” and “Lingyun” and launch vehicles like “Zhishenxing,” and advance intelligent manufacturing of the “Anhui Rocket.”

Relying on provincial advantages in sectors like intelligent connected new energy vehicles, explore an integrated “vehicle‑satellite‑aircraft” development model, accelerate the industrialization of integrated space‑ground terminals, and realize a full chain linkage from “building satellites” to “using satellites.”

Unlike previous “scattershot” approaches, the plan clearly proposes a spatial layout strategy tailored to local conditions and specifies the “role divisions” for the four cities of Hefei, Bengbu, Anqing, and Chizhou.

Hefei, leveraging its comprehensive national science center and deep‑space exploration laboratory advantages, will focus on developing satellite platforms, constellation networking operation and data applications, and become a source of industrial innovation.

Bengbu and Chizhou, building on existing foundations, will focus on developing reusable rockets, engines, and shared testing services. Specifically, Bengbu will build a rocket‑engine testing base serving the Yangtze River Delta and central regions, while Chizhou will accelerate the deployment of aerospace materials testing and verification platforms.

Anqing will prioritize whole‑satellite manufacturing, strengthening production‑line flexibility and scalability to robustly support the province and radiate to surrounding areas.

The plan proposes building a satellite‑data integration and application platform, exploring the assetization and capitalization of satellite data, and promoting separation of data ownership, usage rights, and operational rights to enable "on-demand access and instant utilization" of data. It aims to create a number of scenario application demonstrations across sectors such as ecological protection, water monitoring, disaster prevention and mitigation, urban governance, agricultural and forestry protection, smart grids, and smart elderly care. A Commercial Space Application Scenario Promotion Center will be established to train scenario architects, routinely match supply and demand, and close the “technology–product–scenario” loop.

To ensure the achievement of these goals, Anhui Province will implement a financial support “Growing Together Plan” for technology innovation enterprises, establish a commercial space industry fund, intensify efforts to attract high‑end talent and top‑tier innovation and entrepreneurial teams, host high‑level industry events, and shape the Anhui commercial space brand image.

Source: anhuinews.com