China wants to take a leap that until now had only existed in science fiction: bring the aircraft carrier concept to space. This is not a metaphor or a minor project, but rather a gigantic orbital military platform capable of operating outside the Earth’s atmosphere, launching hypersonic weapons and completely change the rules of the game in global defense.
The project is called Nantianmen – “South Gate of Heaven” – and, as confirmed by Chinese state television CCTV, it is no longer just a theoretical plan. Its construction is underway and It has a clear horizon: 2040. If completed as planned, China would become the first power to deploy a fully operational orbital strike system.
An aircraft carrier… but off the planet
The centerpiece of the Nantianmen project It is a mothership named Luaniao, a colossus that breaks any known reference in aerospace engineering. Its dimensions place it far above any current military aircraft or ship.
These are some of its key figures:
- 684 meters wide
- 242 meters long
- 120,000 tons of weight
- Capacity for 88 hypersonic combat vehicles
- Planned operation in orbit or at the edge of space
Unlike traditional aircraft carriers, the Luaniao does not sail oceans, but would function as an orbital platform from which to launch and recover attack vehicles at extreme speeds.
Hypersonic fighters and attack from space
The Luaniao It is designed to house up to 88 space fighters known as “White Emperor” (Xuan Nü type). Although they are often called fighters, their function is closer to that of reusable hypersonic missiles, capable of move at speeds greater than Mach 5 and to operate both inside and outside the atmosphere.
The great strategic advantage of this system is clear: attacking from outside the range of traditional radars. According to military analysts cited by Asian media, these vehicles could avoid current defense systems, designed for conventional air or ballistic threats.
In practical terms, that means:
- Reduced reaction time for the enemy
- Extreme difficulty for interception
- Near global attack capability
- Trading from unpredictable positions
- A confirmed project, although still surrounded by unknowns
Although for years Nantianmen was considered little more than a rumor or propaganda hype, the situation has changed. The Aviation Industry Corporation State-owned China (AVIC) first introduced the concept in 2017. Now, official confirmation from CCTV clears up doubts about its existence.
An almost five-minute video is already circulating on social networks that shows what the space aircraft carrier would be like. The images are computer recreations, but they offer a clear idea of the ambition of the project: a gigantic device deployed in space, releasing hypersonic vehicles as if they were fighters from a naval deck.
Military revolution or arms race?
Military experts in the region agree that if China manages to complete Nantianmen, the impact will be profound. Wang Mingzhi, analyst quoted by the Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobaosums it up clearly: It’s not a question of if this technology will come into existence, but when.
From a strategic point of view, such a system would mark the beginning of a new phase of the militarization of space, something that until now the great powers had formally avoidedalthough not in practice.
The implications are enormous:
- Redefinition of international space treaties
- Acceleration of similar projects in the US and other powers
- Increased tension in military technology race
- Definitive blurring between civil space and military space
The horizon of 2040
China does not hide its ambition. If the deadlines are met, The Luaniao would be operational around 2040, becoming the first space aircraft carrier in history. A weapon designed not to dominate the seas, but the Earth’s orbit.
What seems futuristic today could be, in just two decades, a new strategic normal. And the message from Beijing is clear: the next great battlefield is no longer on landsea or air, but beyond the sky.
