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By 2035 Alizon had cleared all the regulatory hurdles to comply with its major markets, North America, Greater Europe, and Asia. Congressional concerns about its market dominance in the US swiftly dissipated when Alizon made its intentions clear with the contracting of a major US private rocket company to provide principal rocket systems for the mega company’s new push into space.
At the same time Alizon bought several significant international companies bringing together a group of hugely capable space expertise that would never have been possible without the financial clout of Alizon.
Fuelled by its own finances and the speed of the new commercial space race, Alizon launched its first heavy rocket – a derivative of their key contractor’s design – as soon as 2036. Christened the Alizon Express (several names were rejected as too partisan either way) this wholly reusable system was capable of delivering 130 metric tons into Low Earth orbit. In 2039 the world was again surprised when a super heavy version of the Alizon Express capable of a 220 metric ton lift into LEO was unveiled.
In 2038 the company began landing all returning boosters into mainland China to further reduce costs, which led to a legal row between China and America. Despite this, Alizon was granted a contract from the Chinese government for all launches in connection with the Tiangong-4 and Liangjiahe space stations in orbit around the Earth and Moon. By 2040 the cost to China of maintaining two orbital platforms, its lunar base (North Korea never made a financial contribution) and its continued expansive exploration program was having a serious impact on the national economy in the face of increased commercial competition from the region. Agreement was finally reached between Beijing and Washington allowing for Alizon to take over the space exploration side of China’s national program in return for clear separation of the company into an independent organisation. Both China and the US sold a proportion of their strategic interests in Alizon (granted when the company first formed). In less than three years China had embraced the commercialisation of space and handed the gauntlet to Alizon, who would henceforth present itself as a Chinese International company.
Alizon was granted its E4 license in 2040 in the first round of licensees.
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