All articles tagged with #cas space
Chinese company CAS Space aims to launch its Kinetica-2 liquid propellant rocket in August 2025, with plans for reusability by 2028. The rocket will be 174 feet tall, carry up to 17,200 pounds of payload, and compete with other commercial firms in China's space industry. CAS Space, a spinoff from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is also developing suborbital tourism services and a low-cost rideshare program for space science missions.
The Shenzhou-16 spacecraft has successfully landed after a six-month stay aboard the Chinese Tiangong space station, with the crew handing over operations to the Shenzhou-17 crew. China is also planning a Chang Zheng-4C rocket launch from Taiyuan, a commercial launch by CAS Space's Kinetica-1 from Jiuquan, and a Chang Zheng-7A rocket launch from Hainan Island this week. The Chinese space program is expanding to include civilian and international crewmembers, and China has signed on Belarus, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan to the planned International Lunar Research Station.
Chinese launch company CAS Space has conducted sea platform landing tests using a small jet engine-powered rocket prototype to test guidance, navigation and control systems, software and communications. The company aims to develop reusable orbital rockets and a suborbital rocket for space tourism. Landing the first stage of a rocket on a sea platform is expected to save fuel and increase payload-carrying capacity. CAS Space is one of several Chinese companies working towards developing reusable rockets, including state-owned space contractor CASC, Landspace and iSpace.
Chinese company CAS Space successfully flew and landed a small rocket-like prototype using vertical landing technology, similar to SpaceX's reusable rocket stages. The prototype could potentially be applied to future rocket models, including heavy-lift launchers. The private space industry in China is trying to catch up after the government allowed commercial rocket companies to exist in 2014. The successful test flight and landing could change the game for the Chinese rocket industry, but it remains to be seen when a Chinese rocket will perform a vertical landing after traveling to space.