i-Space (Beijing)

i-Space (Beijing), formally Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co. Ltd. (星际荣耀), is a Beijing-based commercial launch provider founded in 2016 that became the first Chinese private company to successfully reach orbit. On July 25, 2019, Hyperbola-1 (SQX-1) — a four-stage solid-fueled rocket standing 20.8 meters tall with a 300 kg LEO capacity — delivered two satellites to orbit from Jiuquan, a milestone for China's nascent commercial space sector that had seen previous private attempts fail at or before orbital insertion. The company was co-founded by former CASC engineers and received backing from top-tier Chinese venture funds including IDG Capital and Shunwei Capital as part of the broader opening of China's space market to commercial operators following the 2014 policy reforms. i-Space is developing Hyperbola-2 (SQX-2), a reusable liquid-fueled medium-lift rocket using a liquid oxygen/kerosene engine, directly challenging landspace's Zhuque-3 and LandSpace's architecture in a crowded Chinese commercial launch market. Hyperbola-2 is designed for propulsive vertical landing like SpaceX Falcon 9, targeting 1,900 kg to 500 km SSO with full first-stage reusability. The company operates launch site infrastructure at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and has signed rideshare agreements with satellite constellation operators. i-Space competes directly with LandSpace, CAS Space, Galactic Energy, and Deep Blue Aerospace in China's rapidly growing commercial launch ecosystem, which has seen over $3B in private investment since 2015.