News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Asia's Rocket Breakthroughs Challenge SpaceX Dominance
China recovers booster with net, Japan achieves vertical landing in reusable tech race Elon Musk's SpaceX (U.S.) has long dominated the reusable launch vehicle market, but now China and Japan are challenging its lead. On July 10, China successfully captured the first-stage booster of a rocket that deployed an actual satellite into space using a large net over the ocean. Japan, on July 11, achieved a vertical takeoff and landing of a small experimental rocket. Reusing the first-stage booster -- the most expensive part of a rocket -- reduces launch costs and increases frequency. This technology is critical for deploying satellite internet constellations and enabling lunar and Martian exploration. While SpaceX remains ahead, the entry of China and Japan signals intensifying global competition in reusable launch systems. ◇ China's Net-Based Booster Recovery China demonstrated the ability to perform a real orbital launch and recover the first-stage booster simultaneously. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched the Long March-10B from a commercial spaceport in Hainan on July 10, successfully placing a satellite into its designated orbit. The separated first-stage booster reignited its engines to slow its descent toward a designated maritime target. Four hooks attached to the booster were then caught by a large net on a floating platform. This marked the first time China recovered the first stage of a large rocket used in an actual orbital launch, following two previous failed attempts. Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9, which uses landing legs to touch down on land or a drone ship, the Long March-10B employs a net-based recovery system. This approach reduces weight by eliminating landing legs, allowing for greater payload capacity. The net also accommodates movement from waves and wind, ensuring stable capture. However, full reusability requires repeated inspections and relaunches of recovered boosters. CASC plans to assess the recovered booster and attempt a reflight within the year. ◇ Japan's Low-Altitude Vertical Takeoff and Landing Test Japan validated core reusable rocket technologies -- vertical takeoff and landing, as well as precision flight control -- using a small experimental vehicle. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully tested the reusable launch vehicle demonstrator "RV-X" at a test site in Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture, on July 11. The 7.3-meter-tall cylindrical RV-X is equipped with a throttleable engine, autonomous flight control systems, and four shock-absorbing landing legs. During the test, it ascended vertically to 11 meters, moved horizontally 16 meters while maintaining an upright position, and landed vertically. Though the flight lasted less than a minute, it proved the feasibility of key technologies. Japan plans to gradually increase the test altitude to approximately 100 meters and verify engine reignition and repeated flight capabilities. While still in early stages compared to China, the test marks Japan's first step toward entering the reusable rocket market. Foreign media framed these developments as challenges to SpaceX's dominance. Reuters called China's success a "major step forward in challenging the U.S.," while the Associated Press noted Japan's efforts to "secure core technologies for competing in the launch market dominated by SpaceX." ◇ South Korea Aims to Secure Core Reusability Technology by 2032 SpaceX, however, maintains a significant lead. It first landed a Falcon 9 first-stage booster in 2015 and began reusing recovered boosters for missions in 2017. To date, it has achieved over 600 successful booster recoveries and reused individual boosters more than 30 times. South Korea is still in the early stages of developing reusable launch vehicles. The Korea AeroSpace Administration plans to develop a next-generation launch vehicle based on an 80-ton methane engine, investing over 2 trillion Korean won in the project. The goal is to secure core reusability technologies by 2032 and advance toward a fully reusable launch system. With China and Japan achieving successive test successes, experts urge South Korea to accelerate its design and testing processes. "Reusable rockets are essential technology to avoid falling behind in the space race," said one industry source. "While there is consensus on its importance and direction, development must be expedited."
Wemade's WEMIX Lists on Kraken, Western Expansion
Kraken listing boosts WEMIX liquidity, expands Western market access, with future exchange plans Wemade announced on the 8th that it has listed its virtual asset 'WEMIX' on the global cryptocurrency exchange 'Kraken.' With this listing, Kraken users can now easily trade WEMIX in U.S. dollars, a base currency. A Wemade official said, "The Kraken listing is significant in terms of securing liquidity for WEMIX and increasing exposure in Western markets," adding, "WEMIX, which has previously established its presence in the domestic, Asian, and South American markets, has now expanded its influence to institutional and individual investors in Western countries such as the U.S., Canada, and the U.K." The company plans to accelerate the expansion of WEMIX's Real-World Asset (RWA) initiatives through this Kraken listing. It intends to proceed with additional listings on major exchanges in the future, secure global liquidity, and continuously expand accessibility to the WEMIX ecosystem. Additionally, Wemade is preparing to launch an AAA-level new game to advance the WEMIX Web3 gaming ecosystem. It recently unveiled 'StableNet,' South Korea's first dedicated Layer 1 blockchain for a won-pegged stablecoin.
