Kinetica 2 rocket on track for inaugural mission in 2025

CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is completing development of its new Kinetica 2 rocket and aims to launch it before the end of 2025. The company confirmed that the first vehicle has been assembled and is undergoing integrated testing ahead of its debut flight in the fourth quarter. That mission will also introduce a new robotic cargo ship named Qingzhou, or Light Ship, designed to resupply the Tiangong space station.

The 52-meter-tall Kinetica 2 is a medium-lift, liquid-fuel launcher and the successor to CAS Space's Kinetica 1. Featuring a 3.35-meter-diameter core booster, two side boosters, and a liftoff mass of 625 metric tons, the rocket can generate up to 766 tons of thrust. It is capable of carrying 8 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or 12 tons to low-Earth orbit, making it suitable for major satellite deployments and cost-effective supply missions.

Qingzhou was developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites in Shanghai and will serve the China Manned Space Agency by transporting cargo to Tiangong, working alongside the established Tianzhou fleet.

CAS Space has also completed new facilities to support the program. A technical preparation building and launch pad have been constructed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. In parallel, a liquid-fueled engine test site has been commissioned in the mountains outside Guangzhou. This new complex can evaluate engines producing up to 400 tons of thrust, including reusable models, furthering China's next-generation propulsion capabilities.