2026.06.30 22:23 GMT+8

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

Updated 2026.06.30 22:23 GMT+8
CGTN

China's 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.

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