China’s liquid rocket engine clears major trial for cargo missions

China’s new liquid-fueled rocket engine, designed for the medium-lift Kinetica-2 launch vehicle, successfully passed a critical full-thrust test at CAS Space’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Test Center near Guangzhou. The test demonstrated stable engine performance and full-duration burn, validating the first-stage power system that will drive the core booster during liftoff. This facility is unique in China for its capability to test engines up to 200 tons of thrust and full-stage systems up to 400 tons, marking a significant advancement in China’s propulsion testing infrastructure. Kinetica-2, standing 52 meters tall with a liftoff mass of 625 metric tons and thrust capacity of 766 tons, is designed to deliver up to 12 tons to low-Earth orbit or 8 tons to a sun-synchronous orbit. Its maiden flight is scheduled for September from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, coinciding with the debut of Qingzhou, a new cargo spacecraft developed for rapid