space
21:05, 24-Dec-2017
Chinese start-up tests rocket engine
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A Chinese start-up successfully tested an engine for its light rocket, which is set to be launched by June 2018.
The test was conducted in a test ground in east China's Jiangxi Province on Friday, said Shu Chang, chief executive officer of Beijing-based One Space, on Saturday.
The engine uses solid propellants and will power the company's X-series light rockets, Shu said, adding that engineers have finished designing the rocket's main body and electrical system.
The engine can not only drive light carrier rockets but also sub-orbital spacecraft, he said.
One Space testing its engine /One Space Photo
One Space testing its engine /One Space Photo
Founded in 2015, One Space focuses on developing light rockets that can carry small satellites at affordable prices, saying that their low-cost launch vehicle would “make a space journey as convenient as hailing a cab.”
Like the SpaceX project run by electric car producer Tesla in the US, more privately funded start-ups in China have grown interest in commercial opportunities due to the extremely high costs of the state-run space program.
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency