China Roundup: Chang Zheng 8A set for debut, Chinese hopper flies 75 km high-altitude test

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China’s Chang Zheng 8A rocket is set for its maiden flight from the Hainan commercial spaceport this month. Meanwhile, a Chang Zheng 12A development prototype flew a 75 km high-altitude test flight this week with an uncertain outcome. 2025 has begun with land and sea launches as commercial companies gear up to debut new and reusable vehicles this year.

Meanwhile, Shenzhou-19 taikonauts Cai Xuzhe and Song LingDong completed a second spacewalk this week, following their record-breaking longest spacewalk in December. This latest spacewalk on Jan. 20 saw the pair install additional debris shielding, aided by the station’s robotic arm and lasted eight and a half hours.

Shenzhou-19 crew conduct a second EVA from the Tiangong space station. (Credit: CCTV/CMSA)

China closed 2024 with a slight increase of 68 launches, setting a new annual record. Despite this, the number of successful launches, 65, remained the same as in 2023. These missions carried 270 satellites into orbit, representing an increase of 20% from 2023. The increasing number of communications satellites being launched has contributed to this, including the first launches for the Qianfan and GuoWang mega constellations during the latter half of the year.

State-owned operator SatNet’s first batch of ten GuoWang satellites was launched into polar orbit in mid-December. Since then, a second batch has arrived at Wenchang for GuoWang’s next launch. Furthermore, three batches of 18 SpaceSail Qianfan satellites for the first polar shell of the G60 constellation have been launched so far. The second batch of these satellites, launched in October, may have experienced issues raising their orbits to an operational altitude.

These missions flew from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center atop Chang Zheng 6A rockets, though other carriers from commercial launch providers may also carry the satellites for future launches. SatNet is obliged to launch half of the planned constellation — almost 6,500 satellites — by 2032. A third constellation, Honghu-3, could soon join these two mega constellations. Hongqing Technology, nearly half-owned by Landspace, filed plans for this 10,000-satellite constellation across 160 orbital planes in May.

Lijian-1 Y6 (Kinetica-1) is transported to the pad. (Credit: CAS Space)

The potential to set a new record for successful missions in a year was narrowly missed when the final Chinese launch of 2024 failed. CAS Space’s Lijian-1 (also known as the Kinetica-1) experienced a problem with attitude control just seconds after igniting the third stage, subsequently losing the 11 payloads on board. The flight was one of only three Chinese missions to fail in 2024, the other two being a Hyperbola-1 launch in July and the DRO-A/B mission in March.

Missions on Chang Zheng vehicles accounted for 78% of Chinese launches in 2024 — higher than the anticipated 70/30 split between national and commercial launches at the start of the year. The commercial sector is expected to deliver new vehicles and launches in 2025 as it receives an influx of investment and production rates increase. Several of these companies have been developing vehicles with reusable first stages, which could begin to emerge in the coming months.

SAST VTVL vehicle on the pad ahead of the 75 km high-altitude test. (Credit: Lazy_doc)

SAST high-altitude test flight

The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted another vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTVL) test on Jan. 19. The two companies had performed a 10 km flight test in June from the Jiuquan site. It’s unclear if the latest 75 km test used the same prototype vehicle in the 10 km test. Design changes include newer aerodynamic fins positioned lower on the vehicle body.

The vehicle lifted off from the Haiyang facility in the Shangdong province, the site for recent sea launches of the Jielong 3, Ceres 1S, and Gravity 1 rockets. The test flight is expected to inform the development of the forthcoming Chang Zheng 12A (CZ-12A) partially reusable rocket. The expendable Chang Zheng 12 (CZ-12), which took its maiden launch from Hainan in November, is powered by four kerosene-based YF-100K engines. The CZ-12A, which will host a reusable first stage, is expected to utilize seven Longyun engines burning liquid methane and oxygen instead.

Render of the Chang Zheng 12A. (Credit: CASC)

The prototype, named the Longxing-2, had no landing legs. It was originally expected to land on a sea platform but instead performed a splashdown in the sea. Three Longyun engines propelled the vehicle on ascent to around 75 km, reducing to one engine before the prototype was expected to make an unpowered descent using the four grid fins for attitude control. With no official announcement of success, it’s currently unclear if an anomaly occurred during the test.

Chang Zheng 8A approaches its maiden flight

Despite completing launch rehearsals in December, the Commercial Launch Complex 1 (LC-1) pad at the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center in South China has yet to see its inaugural launch. The pad is dedicated to the Chang Zheng 8 (CZ-8) rocket, and a launch carrying a batch of Qianfan satellites was expected before the end of 2024.

The larger Chang Zheng 8A (CZ-8A) variation has since been transported to the Commercial LC-1 pad for its maiden launch, which is targeted for no earlier than Jan. 25. CZ-8A has a more powerful second stage powered by two upgraded YF-75H engines that use liquid hydrogen and oxygen as propellants. The first stage uses the same liquid kerosene and liquid oxygen YF-100 engines as other Chang Zheng rockets.

The CZ-8A is specifically developed to meet the launch requirements of large-scale constellation networks in medium-Earth and low-Earth orbits (LEO), according to chief designer Song Zhengyu. Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the 3.35-diameter expendable vehicle has been in development for 28 months. It features a 5.2 m diameter fairing, which increases payload capacity and lowers costs. The vehicle will be capable of carrying 8,400 kg to LEO or up to 7,000 kg to a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).

Situated 600 m away, the neighboring “universal” Commercial Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) pad launched its first mission in late November with the debut of the Chang Zheng 12, the first of various liquid-fuelled vehicles to utilize this launch facility. The two pads are collectively expected to deliver up to 32 launches per year for the commercial spaceport.

Artists impression of solar power satellite pillars in orbit. (Credit: ESA)

China announces orbital solar power station

China has announced plans to build a massive solar power station in geostationary orbit by 2030. The station would harness solar energy from an altitude of around 36,000 km and transmit it back to Earth through high-frequency microwaves. The orbiting solar array will measure one kilometer in length. On the ground, a mesh-like network of antennas, known as a rectenna, would collect the energy and convert it to electricity.

While a full-scale deployment of an orbital power station isn’t expected until 2040, China’s first power station will test energy transmission by the decade’s end. Various nations and space agencies have been exploring the field, such as the European Space Agency’s (ESA) SOLARIS program and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). UK-based Space Solar made a breakthrough in wireless power transmission last April using 360-degree beam steering with its HARRIER demonstrator, a forerunner to the planned CASSIOPeiA satellite based on the same technology.

The infrastructure would be launched via a Chang Zheng 9 (CZ-9) rocket, and robotics would assemble the solar array in orbit. CZ-9 is planned to have the capacity to lift 150,000 kg to LEO or 54,000 kg to the Moon through a trans-lunar injection. The plans for the solar array were unveiled at a recent lecture organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The proposal was delivered by project lead Long Lehao, the chief designer of the early Chang Zheng rockets in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Space-based solar arrays could revolutionize global energy supply and reduce dependence on oil. Solar energy in space is potentially as much as ten times more energetic than the filtered sunlight that reaches Earth’s surface.

ZhuQue-2E ascends on its maiden launch. (Credit: Landspace)

Commercial launch providers

Various new rockets are expected to emerge from the Chinese commercial sector during the first half of 2025. Landspace, whose ZhuQue-2 rocket was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit successfully, is targeting mid-2025 for the debut flight of its ZhuQue-3 rocket. This follows the successful VTVL testing of a prototype vehicle last year at LandSpace’s existing facility at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, where construction also began on a new pad for the vehicle.

The new ZhuQue-3 vehicle will stand 76.6 m tall, with a 4.5 m core diameter and a 5.2 m fairing. It is constructed in stainless steel and intended to be reusable up to 20 times per booster, adding landing legs and grid fins to the first-stage design. However, Landspace’s first recovery attempts aren’t expected until 2026. This month, the company shared an image of the nine Tianque-12 (TQ-12) first stage engines for the vehicle, which burn liquid methane and oxygen as propellants.

Render of Landspace’s forthcoming ZhuQue-3 rocket. (Credit: Landspace)

A 10 km high-altitude flight test in September demonstrated the abilities of one of these engines, including an engine relight before it made an accurate landing within 1.2 m of the center of the landing pad. The second stage will use a new Tianque-15B (TQ-15B) variant of the vacuum-optimized upper stage engine flown on the ZhuQue-2E (ZQ-2E) maiden flight in late November. Meanwhile, another ZQ-2E has been spotted in transport, suggesting the rocket’s next launch is not far away.

Deep Blue Aerospace spent the final month of 2024 conducting half-system hot fire testing of its LT-RS engine, which will be used on the forthcoming two-stage Xingyun-1 (Nebula-1) rocket. The company conducted a VTVL test of around 10 km at the Ejin Banner Spaceport in Inner Mongolia last September, which included engine relight testing. An anomaly with an engine thrust servo caused an early engine shutdown, leading to a hard landing and an explosion that partially damaged the Nebula-M prototype. The company has yet to conduct the 100 km follow-up test that was expected in November and is expected to be working towards a maiden launch from the Hainan during the first half of 2025. The 3.35 m diameter vehicle will be able to lift 2,000 kg to LEO, with improvements planned to extend this payload capacity.

Galactic Energy’s first assembled Pallas-1. (Credit: Galactic Energy)

Galactic Energy’s Pallas-1 is also expected to debut from Hainan in the first half of 2025. Smaller than a Falcon 9 but similar in design, the 3.8 m diameter, 42 m tall vehicle has a 4.2 m fairing and can lift 8,000 kg to LEO. Initially expendable, the vehicle will eventually move towards achieving first stage reusability. The company’s Gushenxing-1 rocket, also known as the Ceres-1, conducted five successful missions last year, lofting 23 satellites in total. Ceres-1 has flown once in 2025, with another three vehicles reported to be completed and ready for future missions. The upgraded Gushenxing-2 is also expected to make its debut this year. The new vehicle will have significantly more payload capacity at 1,600 kg to LEO and, like its predecessor, will conduct land and sea launches.

Space Pioneer’s Tianlong 3 could also make its debut later this year. The company has continued to work on ground-stage equipment as it recovers from last June’s anomalous static fire test. The new vehicle may debut from the same Jiuquan site from which the company’s Tianlong-2 completed its first and only launch in April 2023.

Render of Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3. (Credit: Space Pioneer)

Beijing-based Space Epoch continues to develop its 64 m tall stainless steel Yuanxingzhe-1 (YXZ-1) rocket. The vehicle will also use a Longyun engine, which burns liquid methane and liquid oxygen and completed a 20-second static fire in early December. The prototype is expected to conduct a VTVL test with a splashdown in the Yellow Sea in the coming weeks.

Three other companies spent the final months of 2024 conducting engine testing for new vehicles that are said to be making debuts this year. OrienSpace tested the gas generator of its YuanLi-110 engine in late December, which burns liquid kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellants. The YuanLi-110 will feature an upgrade in thrust compared to the YuanLi-85, which began to roll off the production line almost a year ago. Nine of these engines will power the first stage of its Gravity-2 rocket, enabling it to carry 21,500 kg to LEO when expended and 17,400 kg when the stage is recovered for reuse. Plans for the 60 m tall vehicle include the potential for strap-on side boosters, further increasing its capacity.

i-Space, also known as Interstellar Glory, is expected to test a prototype of its forthcoming Hyperbola-3 medium-lift rocket in the spring. However, it remains uncertain if the vehicle will debut before the end of the year. The company recently completed hot fire tests of its JD-2 engine in late December. These follow successful long-duration tests last summer lasting 100 and 200 seconds. The engine burns liquid methane and liquid oxygen and is planned to give the new 42 m tall vehicle a payload capacity to LEO of 8,500 kg. Hyperbola-3’s first mission is expected to be expendable, with later missions adopting reusability and an offshore landing platform.

Render of the Hyperbola-3. (Credit: i-Space)

CAS Space also conducted long-duration firings of its second stage engine in late December for its forthcoming Lijian-2 rocket, also known as the Kinetica-2. These followed thruster tests for the attitude control system the month before. Unlike the solid propellants that power the Lijian-1, the engines on the new rocket will burn liquid kerosene and liquid oxygen, which are planned to be reusable in the future.

Lijian-2, which stands 53 m tall and has a core with a 3.35 m diameter, could fly as soon as September. The upgraded rocket is expected to carry 12,000 kg into LEO or 7,800 kg into SSO, including missions to the Tiangong Space Station. Last year, the company won one of two commercial cargo supply contracts, and it plans to fly missions with the forthcoming QingZhou craft.

Render of the Lijian-2 (Kinetica-2) rocket. (Credit: CAS Space)

Cosmoleap has shared more videos documenting progress on its Yueqian-1 vehicle and infrastructure, which are similar to SpaceX’s Starship and its catch tower. In the latest video, the company performed short drop tests of a test article onto the tower arms. The company has also shared a video of thruster tests and moved its Flint One flight computer into the engineering application development phase.

The tests have demonstrated control over engine thrust, ignition, and shutdown. Cosmoleap has suggested it is open to making this available to other companies in the commercial low-altitude electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) market. Many Chinese companies are already well-developed in this sector, with a few working toward passenger certification as soon as 2027.

Recent Chinese launches

Chang Zheng-3B/E | Shijian 25

China’s first launch of 2025 took place from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Jan. 6 at 20:00 UTC. A Chang Zheng 3B/E carried a single technical demonstration spacecraft, Shijian 25, into a geostationary transfer orbit.

The Shijian 25 craft, which can carry up to 1,300 kg of propellant, will conduct satellite refueling tests to extend their operational lifespan. The Shijian missions, whose name translates to “practice,” have conducted numerous experiments, including the relocation of satellites.

This mission marked the 555th launch for the Chang Zheng family and was the first of more than ten planned missions for the Chang Zhang 3 series this year.

Jielong-3 | 10 x CentiSpace-1

The first sea launch from China occurred on Jan. 13 at 03:00 UTC from the Dongfang Hangtiangang Sea platform in the Yellow Sea. Ten Future Navigation CentiSpace-1 satellites were launched into a 650 km LEO aboard a Jielong-3 rocket.

Future Navigation will provide a range of navigation and surveying services once the constellation has at least 20 CentiSpace-1 satellites operational. The company aims to grow the constellation to 190. Future Navigation will also offer sub-meter positioning accuracy as low as 10 cm from the satellites, which will benefit from inter-satellite communications.

Various engine and vehicle optimizations enabled the Jielong-3 to carry 100 kg more than previous missions, increasing its capacity to LEO to 1,600 kg.

Chang Zheng 2D | PRSC-E01

A Chang Zheng 2D (CZ-2D) launched a Pakistani remote sensing satellite and two others on Jan. 17 at 04:07 UTC. The CZ-2D utilized four grid fins, which provided attitude control during descent. Lifting off from Site 9402, also known as pad SLS-2, in the south complex of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the vehicle deployed the three satellites into SSO.

The primary payload was the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite Electro-Optical 1 (PAK-E01) observation satellite, built for the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). This multi-spectral electro-optical monitoring satellite will produce very high-resolution images in near real-time.

Also onboard was Lantan-1, also known as Blue Carbon 1. Built by GeeSpace, it will perform ocean monitoring and marine management. The other rideshare satellite was the weather monitoring Tianlu-1 (DAO-1).

Galactic Energy’s Gushenxing-1 (Ceres-1) rocket launches on Jan. 20. (Credit: Galactic Energy)

Gushenxing-1 | On Your Shoulders

A Gushenxing-1, or Ceres 1, rocket launched from Site 95A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 10:11 UTC on Jan. 20. The vehicle carried five payloads into a 535 km SSO, including four Yunyao-1 meteorological satellites (numbered 37-40), building out a constellation which will grow to 80 in total. Also onboard was the Jitianxing A-05 optical remote sensing satellite, which will perform environmental monitoring.

This mission served as the 17th flight of the four-stage Gushenxing-1 rocket.

(Featured image: Longxing-2 takes flight during a 75 km high-altitude VTVL test. Credit:SpaceLens )

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