Tsinghua University

New Capabilities

Key research partner in SAWES development

In 1957, Chinese aerospace pioneer Qian Xuesen proposed capturing wind energy by wrapping turbines in circular housings at high altitudes. Seven decades later, a Beijing startup realized the vision: on September 19-21, 2025, China flew the S1500, a helium-filled turbine the size of a basketball court, at 1,500 meters in Xinjiang's desert, generating one megawatt. No other country has come close.

Updated May 23