A historic leap forward! The 2026 Two Sessions set the tone: the aerospace industry will officially become a national "emerging pillar industry".

For the first time, aerospace was listed alongside the low-altitude economy, and was clearly...The location is determined to be "emerging support"."Pillar industry".

From "new growth engine" in 2024 to "emerging industry" in 2025, and then to "emerging pillar industry" in 2026, the "three-stage leap" in three years reflects the fact that China's aerospace economy has a solid scale foundation and core strategic value, and has officially entered a new stage of "market-driven" development from "policy cultivation".

Comparing the 2025 and 2026 government work reports reveals four key changes in wording, releasing profound strategic signals:

This signifies that China is building an "integrated space-air-ground digital infrastructure." Future national-level infrastructure will add [this technology] to existing broadband, 5G, and data centers.LowOrbital satellite network, low-altitude flight network, BeiDou spatiotemporal networkA new three-tier architecture.

Why has aerospace been elevated to the level of a "pillar industry" this year? The report and related analysis reveal the three key pillars behind this:

Large enough in scale:According to data from CCID Consulting, the size of China's commercial aerospace market exceeded 2.5 trillion yuan in 2025, while the low-altitude economy reached 1.5 trillion yuan, totaling over 4 trillion yuan. It is projected that commercial aerospace will surpass 3 trillion yuan in 2026, and the combined market size of both will exceed 8.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

Strong driving force:The aerospace economy is a "technology spillover" industrial cluster. A rocket can drive the development of high-temperature alloys and carbon fiber materials; a satellite can influence chip manufacturing and precision technology; and an eVTOL system can empower batteries, sensors, and autonomous driving. It can promote the coordinated upgrading of dozens of upstream and downstream industrial chains.

High strategic value:Low Earth orbit frequency resources are allocated on a "first-come, first-served" basis. By the end of 2025, China had applied to the International Telecommunication Union for frequency resources for 203,000 satellites. The aerospace economy has become a core strategic high ground in the competition among major powers for digital infrastructure.

The 2026 Government Work Report outlined clear directions for the three core tracks of the aerospace industry, all of which show the characteristics of moving from "technology verification" to "engineering application".

1. Reusable rockets: China's "Year One of Reusability" in spaceflight.

High launch costs have long been a major bottleneck restricting commercial spaceflight. This situation will be completely changed in 2026.

National team leadership:China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is developing two types of reusable main rockets using different technological approaches. In February, the Long March 10 successfully completed a controlled splashdown of its first stage at sea, laying the foundation for subsequent recovery.

Collaboration between private and non-private teams:Several private companies, including LandSpace (liquid oxygen and methane) and Tianbing Technology (liquid oxygen and kerosene), plan to achieve the first flight or recovery test of reusable rockets in 2026.

Cost reduction path:China is pursuing a dual-drive approach of "recyclable technology + industrialized manufacturing," reducing the rocket assembly cycle from 70 days to 25 days and lowering some costs by more than 40%.

2. Satellite Internet: A Year of Accelerated Network Deployment

The government work report specifically mentioned "accelerating the development of satellite internet" for the first time, which the industry calls the "year of accelerated network deployment".

Launch speed increased:In the first month and a half of 2026, China has completed 18 space launches, with commercial launches accounting for over 60%. The total number of launches for the year will exceed 100 for the first time, with commercial satellites accounting for 85%-90%.

Mass production advantages:By the end of 2025, there will be 11 domestic satellite manufacturers with an annual design capacity of over 100 satellites.

Application Breakthrough:The number of users of satellite phone direct connection service has exceeded 4.8 million, marking an important milestone in the field of personal satellite communications.

3. Low-altitude economy: From "technology research and development" to "institutional breakthrough"

The low-altitude economy is one of the hottest topics at this year's Two Sessions. The core issue is no longer technology, but rather institutional adaptation.

Mature technology:The world's first fully certified unmanned manned aircraft has been put into use; Meituan's drones have completed more than 670,000 deliveries.

Institutional reform:The focus in 2026 will be onLow-altitude airspace management reform, aircraft standardization, and tax policy clarificationAnd in the construction of low-altitude communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNSS) systems.

Capital influx:In 2025, the total financing for the low-altitude economy sector reached 46 billion yuan, setting a new record.

The "pillarification" of an industry cannot be achieved without "precise support" from policies. The 2026 Two Sessions outlined a comprehensive support system for the aerospace economy, encompassing "scenarios + funding + technology + infrastructure."

Open application scenarios: Encourage central and state-owned enterprises to take the lead in opening up application scenarios.This is a crucial breakthrough, providing a platform for new technologies and products to move from the laboratory to the market.

Funding Guarantee:1.3 trillion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and 4.4 trillion yuan of local government special bonds will be allocated to major projects. Government investment funds will play a crucial role."Patient Capital" focuses on cultivating specialized, refined, and innovative SMEs and unicorn companies.

Technology empowers:Build international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Support leading technology companies in forming innovation consortia to increase their share of undertaking major national science and technology projects.

Infrastructure Support:It is clearly stated that efforts will be accelerated to develop satellite internet and implement new infrastructure projects such as ultra-large-scale intelligent computing clusters and computing-power collaboration.

As the first session of the Two Sessions in the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan", the report also set the direction for the aerospace industry in the next five years.

The Draft Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China clearly states that..."Accelerate the building of a space power"It will be incorporated into the core tasks of building a modern industrial system. Over the next five years, the focus will be on four main areas:

Large-scale development of commercial spaceflightTo build a complete industrial chain;

Satellite internet is being incorporated into the construction of new infrastructure.To achieve high-frequency networking;

Manned spaceflight and deep space exploration continue to advanceComplete the manned lunar exploration project;

Low-altitude economyThe leap from "pilot program" to "nationwide scale".

fromFrom "commercial spaceflight" to "aerospace"The expression has been upgraded, fromFrom "emerging industries" to "emerging pillar industries"The 2026 Government Work Report, outlining a significant leap in positioning, has accelerated the development of China's aerospace industry."National teams set the direction, private enterprises innovate."Driven by both economic and technological innovation, a massive market exceeding 4 trillion yuan and projected to surpass 8.5 trillion yuan in the future is rapidly taking shape. In the next 3-5 years, with continuous breakthroughs in key technologies and the ongoing expansion of application scenarios, China's aerospace economy will become a core pillar driving high-quality development and occupy a more important position in the global competitive landscape.

*References: China Government Website, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, Taibo Think Tank