CAS Space
Chinese commercial aerospace company developing launch vehicles, reusable space systems, and launch services.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
CAS Space, also known by its Chinese name Zhongke Yuhang (中科宇航), is a Chinese commercial aerospace company focused on launch-vehicle development, space transportation, and launch services. The company was established in 2018 in Beijing and subsequently made Guangzhou its headquarters, while retaining Beijing as a major research and development center. It is described as being majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, giving it a close institutional relationship with one of China’s principal scientific research organizations. The company’s stated role is to translate research and engineering work associated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences into commercial aerospace products and services. Its activities cover the development of orbital launch vehicles, propulsion systems, launch infrastructure, and planned suborbital space-tourism systems. CAS Space operates through a number of subsidiaries and specialized facilities. A Guangzhou subsidiary is associated with the company’s aerospace technology and industry base, while an Xi’an subsidiary focuses on propulsion-system work. The company has also constructed dedicated launch facilities at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. These facilities have been described as China’s first launch-pad infrastructure built specifically for commercial use. CAS Space’s principal launch-vehicle program is the Kinetica family, also referred to in some contexts by the Chinese name Lijian. The first member, Kinetica 1, is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket designed for small-to-medium payloads. The vehicle is approximately 30 meters tall, has a diameter of about 2.65 meters, and has a stated capacity of roughly 1.5 tonnes to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or about 2 tonnes to low Earth orbit. The company is also developing Kinetica 2, a larger liquid-propellant vehicle using kerosene and liquid oxygen. Its planned architecture uses a central core with two side-mounted boosters, and the company has outlined recovery ambitions for the first stage and boosters. A higher-capacity Kinetica 2H variant and the reusable Kinetica 3 are intended to expand the family’s payload range. In addition to orbital rockets, CAS Space announced a suborbital space-tourism vehicle in 2021. The planned system consists of a reusable booster and crew capsule powered by five Xuanyuan engines and is conceptually similar to other vertical-launch, vertical-landing suborbital systems. Earlier development projections anticipated demonstration flights in the early 2020s and commercial tourism operations in 2024, but the timetable for a mature round-trip service was subsequently extended toward 2030. CAS Space positions itself around the commercialization of Chinese space technology and the integration of research, manufacturing, launch infrastructure, and customer services. Its public-facing motto is translated as “Go above and beyond,” with the Chinese formulation “无畏向上 无限可能,” meaning approximately “Fearless ascent, infinite possibilities.” The company remains an active developer rather than a mature globally diversified launch provider, and publicly available information emphasizes planned vehicles and infrastructure more than a broad international operating network.
History
CAS Space was founded in Beijing in 2018 as a commercial aerospace enterprise associated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its formation reflected the broader development of China’s commercial space sector and the effort to move scientific and engineering capabilities into commercially oriented launch and space-transportation programs. The company’s stated mission is to commercialize research results and technical capabilities connected with the academy while providing services for space exploration, scientific research, and satellite launch. Although Beijing was the company’s original base, Guangzhou later became its headquarters. Beijing remains an important research and development location, allowing the company to retain links with China’s scientific and aerospace ecosystem. CAS Space also developed a distributed operating structure through subsidiaries and specialized facilities. A Guangzhou-based subsidiary is responsible for activities associated with the company’s aerospace technology and industrial base, while an Xi’an-based subsidiary works on propulsion systems. This structure reflects the geographic specialization common in China’s aerospace sector, in which research, propulsion, manufacturing, and launch operations may be organized across different cities. A major infrastructure step was the construction of dedicated launch facilities at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The company’s launch pad has been characterized as the first launch pad in China built for commercial use. Dedicated infrastructure is strategically important for a commercial launch provider because it can provide greater control over launch scheduling, vehicle processing, and customer integration than reliance solely on facilities designed for government missions. The Jiuquan site forms part of CAS Space’s effort to establish an integrated commercial launch capability rather than functioning only as a vehicle-development organization. The company’s main technical focus is the Kinetica launch-vehicle family. Kinetica 1, also identified as Lijian-1 or PR-1, is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket intended to carry payloads to low Earth orbit and sun-synchronous orbit. Its published design specifications place it in the small-to-medium orbital-launch segment. The later Kinetica 2 program represents a move toward larger liquid-propellant vehicles using kerosene and liquid oxygen. The proposed configuration uses a central core and two side-mounted boosters, with recovery of the first stage and boosters planned as part of the company’s longer-term development path. Kinetica 2H is intended to provide greater sun-synchronous-orbit capacity, while Kinetica 3 is planned as a reusable vehicle for still larger payloads. CAS Space has also pursued a suborbital space-tourism concept. Announced in August 2021, the proposed system combines a booster and capsule and is powered by five Xuanyuan engines. Initial public plans called for uncrewed demonstrations, followed by the introduction of tourism services. The company later extended the anticipated timetable for a mature round-trip suborbital tourism capability toward 2030, indicating that the program’s development schedule was longer than its earliest projections. The company’s overall strategy combines launch-vehicle development, propulsion, launch-site construction, and future reusable space transportation. Its position is distinct from that of a traditional government-only aerospace contractor because it presents itself as a commercial provider, while its ownership and technical relationship with the Chinese Academy of Sciences give it a strong research-institutional foundation. Public descriptions continue to emphasize development programs and planned capabilities; therefore, the available reference material does not establish a complete record of commercial launch operations, customer contracts, financial performance, or current executive leadership.
- 2021
Suborbital space-tourism vehicle announced
[1]CAS Space announced a booster-and-capsule suborbital tourism system powered by five Xuanyuan engines.
- 2018
Company founded in Beijing
[1]CAS Space was established in Beijing as a commercial aerospace company associated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Headquarters moved to Guangzhou
[1]The company established its headquarters in Guangzhou while retaining Beijing as a primary research and development center.
Dedicated commercial launch infrastructure developed at Jiuquan
[1]CAS Space constructed dedicated launch facilities at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, described as China’s first launch-pad infrastructure built for commercial use.
Products and positioning
Commercial aerospace and launch services provider translating Chinese Academy of Sciences research and engineering into orbital launch vehicles, propulsion systems, launch infrastructure, and planned reusable space transportation.
Solid-fuel orbital launch vehicle
Kinetica 1
Kinetica 1, also known as Lijian-1 and PR-1, is CAS Space’s first solid-fuel orbital launch vehicle. It uses four solid-propellant stages and is approximately 30 meters tall, with a diameter of about 2.65 meters and a mass of roughly 135 tonnes. Its stated performance is approximately 1.5 tonnes to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or 2 tonnes to low Earth orbit. The vehicle is intended for commercial deployment of small and medium-sized payloads.
Medium-lift liquid-propellant launch vehicle · 2025
Kinetica 2
Kinetica 2 is a planned medium-lift rocket using kerosene and liquid oxygen. Its proposed configuration consists of a central core and two similar side-mounted booster stages, with the core stages specified at approximately 3.35 meters in diameter and 53 meters in height. The stated capacity is up to 12 tonnes to low Earth orbit and 7.8 tonnes to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. CAS Space has described plans for recovery of the first stage and boosters.
Higher-capacity liquid-propellant launch vehicle
Kinetica 2H
Kinetica 2H is a higher-capacity variant within the Kinetica 2 family. Its stated performance target is up to 12 tonnes to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The available reference material identifies it as part of the company’s planned medium-lift launch-vehicle portfolio but does not provide a separate complete design history.
Reusable orbital launch vehicle
Kinetica 3
Kinetica 3 is a planned reusable launch vehicle intended to extend CAS Space’s capabilities into a larger-payload segment. The stated target is delivery of up to 20 tonnes to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The available reference material does not provide a confirmed launch date, final configuration, or operational status.
Suborbital space transportation system · 2021
Suborbital space-tourism vehicle
CAS Space announced a suborbital tourism system in 2021 consisting of a reusable-style booster and capsule. The vehicle was described as similar in broad mission concept to Blue Origin’s New Shepard and designed around five Xuanyuan engines. Early projections included uncrewed demonstrations and eventual passenger service, but the timetable for a mature round-trip tourism capability was later extended toward 2030.
Controversies
2024
Lijian-1 Y6 Rocket Launch Fails
On December 27, 2024, the Lijian-1 Y6 carrier rocket was launched. The first and second stages operated normally; about 3 seconds after the third-stage engine ignited, attitude became unstable, and the onboard safety system self-destructed, causing the loss of the satellites carried. The investigation concluded that the most likely cause was damage to wires during rework of the third-stage servo thermal battery, leading to fatigue fracture due to flight vibration. In January 2025, it passed the fault zeroing review, and subsequent launches resumed successfully.
Brand decisions
2021
Announcement of a suborbital space-tourism vehicleProduct launchBackground
CAS Space sought to broaden its business beyond orbital launch services by developing a crew-capable suborbital vehicle for future space tourism.
Action taken
The company announced a booster-and-capsule system powered by five Xuanyuan engines and outlined a staged path from uncrewed demonstrations to tourism operations.
Aftermath
The timetable for achieving mature round-trip suborbital tourism was subsequently extended toward 2030.
- Development of an integrated commercial launch platformStrategy
Background
A commercial launch provider requires vehicle development, propulsion expertise, industrial facilities, and dedicated launch infrastructure.
Action taken
CAS Space developed specialized subsidiaries and facilities across Guangzhou, Beijing, and Xi’an, and constructed dedicated commercial launch infrastructure at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Aftermath
The company established a broader platform for launch-vehicle production, propulsion work, and launch operations, although the available reference material does not document its full operational output.
Recent events
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