by MA Yueran, PENG Peng

Chinese startup Beijing Interstellor Human Spaceflight Technology Co., Ltd. said more than 20 customers have booked seats for its planned space tourism missions, as it aims for a suborbital crewed first flight around 2028.

The company on Thursday publicly unveiled a full-scale test cabin for its InterstellOr One (CYZ-1) spacecraft, which it describes as China's first reusable commercial crewed spacecraft.

The unveiling marked the first public appearance of a full-size test cabin for a commercial crewed vehicle developed by a Chinese private company. Interstellor said existing reservations cover more than three spacecraft, equivalent to over 20 passengers, with early customers including business executives and public figures.

On Jan 18, Interstellor said it completed a key landing-attenuation test for the CYZ-1. The roughly 5-tonne test cabin was dropped from more than three meters to simulate descent after parachute deployment. The company said the trial met design targets, validating its proprietary landing system.

Interstellor said the test marked a full-scale verification of landing-buffer technology for a commercial crewed spacecraft. Such claims could not be independently verified.

Founded in 2023, Interstellor focuses on reusable crewed spacecraft and space tourism. It says it has received regulatory clearance to pursue commercial crewed spaceflight, a segment in China that has traditionally been dominated by state-led programs.

Founder and chief executive LEI Shiqing said China's commercial space sector is moving beyond technology validation toward operations, with space tourism seen as an early commercial opportunity.

Several other Chinese companies including CAS Space and Deep Blue Aerospace are also exploring space tourism through suborbital flights near the Kármán line, widely defined as 100 km above Earth. Deep Blue Aerospace sold two suborbital tickets in October 2024 and has said it plans a first flight in 2027.

Space tourism remains a niche but proven business. Blue Origin has flown paying passengers on suborbital missions since 2021, while Virgin Galactic completed its first commercial suborbital flight in 2023 and plans to expand operations from 2026.

SpaceX is the only company currently offering orbital missions to private individuals, with flights lasting several days — a more complex and costly model than suborbital tourism.