Rocket engine to power China's reusable launch vehicle completes long-duration test

BEIJING -- Chinese commercial space company CAS Space has successfully completed a long-duration qualification test for the Kinecore-2, a 110-ton-thrust liquid oxygen/kerosene engine designed to power the reusable variant of its Kinetica 2, or Lijian 2 launch vehicle.

The recently conducted test pushed the engine's burn time to 620 seconds, approximately 3.5 times the actual flight duration requirement. A single ignition lasted 400 seconds, setting a new stability record for the engine model, the Guangzhou-based rocket developer told China Media Group (CMG) on Tuesday.

The engine is designed to serve as the primary propulsion system for the reusable versions of both the Kinetica 2 and its heavy-lift variant.

The grueling trial simulated extreme conditions, including sustained high temperatures, high rotational speeds, intense heat flux and continuous vibrations, to rigorously assess the engine's durability and performance.

"The extended test is a critical qualification that verifies the engine's stable performance, fully covering flight conditions and demonstrating a sufficient life margin," said Ming Aizhen, deputy general manager of the power design department at CAS Space.

The test provided in-depth validation of key engine parameters and operational reliability, laying a solid foundation for future engineering and mass production. Cumulative reliability test time for the Kinecore-2 has now surpassed 2,000 seconds.

The Kinecore-2 has entered a critical phase of comprehensive reliability testing. Once finalized, the engine is expected to support high-frequency, routine launches, said Ming.

The Kinetica 2 is China's first launch vehicle to adopt the Common Booster Core (CBC) configuration, a modular rocket design architecture in which the first stage and its side boosters are structurally and functionally identical.

It is capable of carrying up to 8 tons to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit or 12 tons to a 200-km low Earth orbit.

On March 30, 2026, the rocket successfully completed its maiden flight, demonstrating the core technologies of China's next-generation space transportation system. During this mission, it accurately deployed the Qingzhou prototype cargo spacecraft and two satellites into the preset orbit.