China's CAS Space: 1st Stage Rocket Static Fire for Commercial Cargo Spacecraft
🔥CAS Space has successfully completed the first static fire of Kinetica-2's first stage core at its rocket engine testing center located in Conghua, Guangzhou province in southern China. This represents a major step towards the demonstration launch of the Qingzhou-1 commercial cargo spacecraft for the China Space Station. CAS Space is competing with AVIC Chengdu's "HaoLong" cargo shuttle for commercial contracts.
Qingzhou, meaning "Light Ship" in Chinese, has been designed to be smaller in size and lighter in weight, compared to the existing Tianzhou (Sky Ship) cargo spacecraft. Developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the new commercial launch vehicle weighs about 5 tonnes and is capable of sending at least 1.8 tonnes of supplies into space. It features an internal volume of 27 cubic meters. It can accommodate up to 300 liters for cold-chain transportation, enabling taikonauts to enjoy more and fresher fruits and vegetables during their space missions. According to Shu Rong, commander of the Qingzhou project, the spacecraft has been developed at a lower cost, thanks to numerous technological innovations and a more efficient launch process.
The CAS Space rocket test center is currently the only engine and propulsion system test center in southern China. The complex is capable of 200t-grade liquid engine testing and 400t-grade comprehensive propulsion system testing.
CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. CAS Space was founded in 2018 and is majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Release Date: June 11, 2025
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