Chinese commercial space company CAS Space has successfully completed a long-duration qualification test for the Kinecore-2, a 110-tonne-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 tonnes to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit or 12 tonnes 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.