SPACE RACE II: Long March 9 will take 140 tons to low-earth orbit starting 2028.

Li Guoping, director of the Department of System Engineering of the CNSA, said that the length of the Long March-9 will exceed 90 meters, and the rocket would have a core stage with a diameter of 10 meters.

It would be able to carry a payload of 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, five times that of the Long March-5, said Li.

The first version of the SpaceX BFR has been re-designed to carry 100 tons to low-earth orbit. Later upgrades will enable 150 tons or more to low-earth orbit.

If SpaceX BFR and NASA Space Launch System have delays then the Long March 9 will be the most powerful rocket in 2028.

I have a lot more faith in SpaceX’s BFR than in NASA’s SLS, but I’d love to see both beat China into the heavy lift category.