深蓝航天 Deep Blue Limited – Deep Blue AerospaceLandspace One of sixty Chinese private space Carrier Rocket Companies in China-People’s Republic of China… As many of sixty plus Private Rocket Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. was established in 2017. The company is mainly a high-tech aerospace enterprise that focuses on the direction of liquid recovery and reusable launch vehicles and provides users with commercial launch services. Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. At the same time, the company has rocket general and liquid engine R&D centers in Yizhuang, Beijing and Xi’an, Shaanxi, respectively, and a rocket power system test base in Tongchuan, Shaanxi…..
On the afternoon of October 18, 2025, Blue Arrow Aerospace organized and implemented the static ignition test of the Suzaku-3 Yao-1 carrier rocket at the 96B liquid oxygen and methane launch station in the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area!
The reusable rocket Zhuque-3 has entered the critical preparation phase for its maiden flight. Recently, the reusable rocket Suzaku-3 successfully completed its maiden flight rehearsal and static ignition test, entering the critical preparation phase for its official orbital launch and first-stage recovery this year.
The Suzaku-3 is a high-capacity, low-cost, reusable liquid-propellant carrier rocket independently developed by China for large-scale constellation networking missions. It can autonomously return to Earth with high precision after an orbital launch mission, achieving a soft landing at a recovery site and being reused.
The rocket’s first and second stages have a diameter of 4.5 meters, the fairing has a diameter of 5.2 meters, and the total length is 66.1 meters. It has a takeoff mass of approximately 570 tons and a takeoff thrust of over 750 tons. The rocket uses stainless steel as its main structural material. The first stage is equipped with nine Tianque-12A liquid oxygen-methane engines and is equipped with the RCS, grid rudders, and landing legs required for stage recovery. After completing an orbital launch mission, it can autonomously return to Earth with high precision, achieve a soft landing at the recovery site, and be reused.
On 22nd October 2025 After completing the static ignition test, the Suzaku-3 Yao-1 carrier rocket fairing was docked with the rocket, and the full appearance of the Suzaku-3 carrier rocket was displayed to the world for the first time
The complete shield and arrow combination of Suzaku-3 was unveiled
Landspace Reusable Carrier Rocket Zhuque-3 Suzaku-3 sets new record for liquid rocket thrust….. The test run of the first-stage power system of the Zhuque-3 reusable rocket was successfully completed in the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Area. The test used a first-stage rocket body with the same technical status as the first flight mission, and 9 Tianque-12A liquid oxygen-methane engines were connected in parallel, with a total thrust of 7542kN. The test fully covered the rocket-ground test and launch process, including propellant filling, tank pressurization, engine batch starting, steady-state operation and program shutdown, verifying the matching of the entire system and the rationality of the process. The test run conditions covered the flight conditions. It truly achieved “how to fly in the sky, how to test on the ground
Landspace Reusable Carrier Rocket Zhuque-3 Suzaku-3 sets new record for liquid rocket thrust At 12:00, the ignition command was issued, and the 9 engines ignited in batches according to the timing, switched stages, worked stably for 40 seconds, and completed the servo swing test, and then shut down in an orderly manner, fully verifying the matching between the engine, booster transmission, structure, avionics, launch support and other test systems, as well as the rationality of the rocket-ground coordination test and launch process. During the test, all systems worked normally, the engine start timing was accurate, the thrust was stable, and the test mission was a complete success…
Zhuque-3 (model code: ZQ-3) is the next-generation reusable liquid oxygen-methane carrier rocket of Landspace, China’s first stainless steel liquid carrier rocket, with a body diameter of 4.5m, a fairing diameter of 5.2m, a total length of 76.6m, a takeoff mass of approximately 660t, and a takeoff thrust of approximately 900t. The power system uses the Tianque series liquid oxygen-methane engine independently developed by Landspace.
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
[China, People’s Republic of China 64th launch this year]
At 11:33 Beijing time today, the Lijian-1 Yao-8 carrier rocket blasted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Experimental Area, successfully placing three satellites on board: Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite 02, China Science Satellite 03, and 04 into their planned orbits. This mission marks the ninth flight of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket!
The flight test mission was a complete success. This mission marked the ninth flight of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket.
▲The first flight of the Lijian-2 rocket is currently undergoing docking and assembly of its core stage and booster. It will make its maiden flight in the fourth quarter of this year, launching the Qingzhou-1 spacecraft. In the future, the Lijian-2 will become the main rocket for our country’s low-orbit internet satellite constellation.
▲China Aerospace Science and Technology will launch China’s first suborbital spacecraft in October or early November of the fourth quarter of this year, and will launch two more times next year. Through the flight of the spacecraft, a microgravity platform will be provided for conducting microgravity experiments.
At 1508 Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 17th October 2025, China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration Successfully launched Chang Zheng – Long March 6A Advance modified Carrier Rocket ignited and took off at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center Shanxi Province.. Long March 6A Yao24 carrier rocket successfully launches Low orbit group nine internet constellation Satellites …..
At 15:08 Beijing time on October 17, 2025, China successfully launched 18 satellites into polar orbit using the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The satellites entered the planned orbit smoothly, and the launch mission was a complete success. This mission is the 601st flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
At 3:08 PM Beijing Time on October 17, the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket ignited and took off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, subsequently placing the 18 Qianfan polar-orbit satellites into their planned orbits, marking a complete success.
The Long March 6 modified rocket was developed by the Eighth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and has a payload capacity of no less than 4.5 tons to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers. Currently, the Long March 6 modified rocket has successfully completed 18 consecutive launch missions. This mission, employing a stacked “18 satellites per launch,” marks the fifth launch of the Qianfan constellation by the Long March 6 modified rocket.
The launch of the 18 Qianfan polar-orbit satellites was provided by China Great Wall Industry Corporation, a subsidiary of CASC, as the general contractor.
This launch marks the 601st Long March carrier rocket launch.
On CNSA –China National Space Administration …. ChangZheng Long March 8A Yao 4 Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China At 0933 Beijing time on 16th October , 2025, China’s new-generation manned carrier rocket, the Long March 8A Yao 4, successfully 600th Launch, Takeoff….
Successfully launched 12 groups of low-orbit satellite Internet satellites using the Long March 8A carrier rocket at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. The satellites entered the predetermined orbit smoothly, and the launch mission was a complete success.
The Long March 8A Yao-4 rocket ignited and took off from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. This is the 600th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets. since its maiden flight in April 1970, launching the Dongfanghong-1 satellite.
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
The first flight of the constellation networking ” Lijian2 #Kinetica2 ” Force Arrow-2 series rocket into orbit is coming!
In July 2025, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation held a mobilization meeting for the “hard battle” of the first flight mission of the “Lijian-2” carrier rocket at the company’s industrialization base. The first flight of the “Lijian-2” entered the sprint stage, and a unique reusable rocket is about to usher in its maiden flight.
It is expected to become the world’s first reusable launch vehicle that can achieve cluster recovery.
“Lijian-2” is a medium-sized cryogenic liquid carrier rocket developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It adopts a two-and-a-half-stage configuration. The main body consists of a core stage, a core stage and two core stage module boosters. The take-off stage is a 3CBC structure with three cores in parallel.
The Lijian-2’s core first-stage module is powered by three YF-102 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines, using a gas generator cycle. These engines support bidirectional pump-forward oscillation (±6°), deliver a sea-level thrust of 835 kN (approximately 85 tons), a sea-level specific impulse of no less than 275 seconds, a combustion chamber pressure of 8.5 MPa, and a thrust-to-weight ratio of no less than 130. The core second-stage module is powered by a single YF-102V liquid oxygen-kerosene engine, the vacuum version of the YF-102. This engine supports bidirectional oscillation (±5°), delivers a vacuum thrust of 710 kN (approximately 72 tons), a vacuum specific impulse of 330 seconds, supports 55% to 100% deep thrust adjustment, can be restarted twice, and has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 90.
The Lijian-2 rocket is 52 meters high and has a body diameter of 3.35 meters. It is equipped with a lightweight fairing made of all-carbon fiber composite materials with an external diameter of 4.2 meters and a length of 12.19 meters. It has a takeoff mass of 625 tons and a takeoff thrust of 766 tons. It has a low-Earth orbit (LEO) carrying capacity of 12 tons and a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) carrying capacity of 8 tons.
The design goal of Lijian-2 is to be a partially reusable launch vehicle. Its three-core parallel takeoff stage design can achieve cluster recovery. There is a landing leg distributed in the first and third quadrants of the core first stage, the second quadrant of the left (core first stage second quadrant) booster, and the fourth quadrant of the right (core first stage fourth quadrant) booster. The takeoff stage assembly supports recovery and reuse more than 20 times.
Currently, the Lijian-2, equipped with the YF-102 engine, is still a non-recoverable model. To achieve recovery and reuse, the first-stage engine must be replaced with the Liqing-2 liquid oxygen-kerosene engine currently under development by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. This engine utilizes a gas generator cycle, supports bidirectional pump-back swing, has a ground thrust of 110 tons, supports 50% to 100% deep thrust, and has three starts. According to previous plans, the first recovery of the reusable Lijian-2 model is expected to occur in 2028. By then, the rocket is expected to become the world’s first reusable launch vehicle capable of cluster recovery.
Ready-to-fight capability based on mature technology
For reusable launch vehicles, the optimal configuration is a single-core stage, offering the highest launch efficiency and the easiest recovery and reuse. However, to date, only SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has achieved both operational launch and recovery reuse, demonstrating the considerable difficulty and technical expertise required to develop a single-core-stage reusable rocket. Furthermore, compared to liquid oxygen-kerosene propulsion, liquid oxygen-methane propulsion offers advantages in terms of coking and carbon deposition, making it a preferred choice for the main propulsion system of reusable rockets. However, liquid oxygen-methane engines have only been used as the main propulsion system for rockets for a relatively short period of time, and the technical feasibility of dual cryogenic engines is even greater. Consequently, no liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle has yet been successfully recovered and reused during an orbital launch.
Compared with several other leading commercial rocket companies in China, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation started developing reusable carrier rockets relatively late. The development cycle of its first reusable carrier rocket “Lijian-2” was only 2 years. To build a medium-sized liquid carrier rocket with the goal of recovery and reuse in such a short time, the better choice is to develop it based on mature technology and achieve the goal of recovery and reuse in steps.
Actual production scene of the “Lijian No. 2” factory
One mature technology: the 3.35-meter diameter rocket body. Starting with the Dongfeng-5 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the forerunner of the Long March series of launch vehicles, China’s liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles have employed a 3.35-meter diameter rocket body. This 3.35-meter diameter rocket body subsequently became the standard specification for the core stage of the Long March series of launch vehicles and remains in use today. The production technology for this rocket body is mature, production scale is large, and production costs are low. While not the optimal choice for commercial rockets, a 3.35-meter diameter rocket body is a standard specification that can be quickly procured on a large scale and put into service quickly.
The second mature technology: liquid oxygen-kerosene engines. Beginning with the new generation of Long March rockets, China’s liquid carrier rockets have used liquid oxygen-kerosene engines as their main engines, exemplified by the YF-100 and YF-115 series. After 77 flights of the new generation of Long March rockets, liquid oxygen-kerosene engine technology has become a relatively mature rocket propulsion technology in China. With ample technical reserves and a large talent pool, this technology provides a strong technical foundation for the development of new, reusable liquid oxygen-kerosene engines, bringing China closer to its goals and achieving them faster.
Existing plan: launch vehicle cluster recovery plan. Before the “Forced Arrow II”, there was the “Long March 8R” reusable rocket plan that adopted cluster recovery. It also used two boosters bundled with the core stage. The difference was that the former replaced the two 2.25-meter-diameter boosters with a 3.35-meter-diameter core first-stage module booster. In this regard, the “Forced Arrow II” is a successor and optimized model of the “Long March 8R” recovery plan. By improving the rocket’s takeoff weight and carrying capacity, it enhances the practical value of rocket recovery and reuse. At the same time, the “Long March 7A” rocket has also verified the plan of separating the four boosters and the core first stage assembly from the core second stage in an actual launch mission. These all form the basis for the “Forced Arrow II” to adopt a cluster recovery plan.
Schematic diagram of “Liqing-2”
Currently, the global space industry has entered a phase of large-scale development of Earth orbital resources, particularly low-Earth orbit. To meet the demands of large-scale constellation launches, the Force Arrow-2 is the optimal choice for providing a ready-to-go capability. The optimal choice is to rapidly develop a high-capacity launch vehicle based on existing, mature technologies combined with newly developed ones. Furthermore, launch vehicles built on mature technologies possess greater reliability, a prerequisite for high-frequency, continuous, and stable launches.
Self-built launch stations and general test workshops support high-frequency launches
To meet the demand for commercial space launches, China has planned launch sites such as the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Center in Hainan and the Dongfang Spaceport in Haiyang as commercial rocket launch bases. However, relying solely on general-purpose launch stations is far from sufficient to meet the launch frequency. For example, Hainan Commercial Space Launch Station No. 2 is designed to support a launch frequency of 16 times per year, but it can support launches of more than 10 rocket models. Clearly, for commercial rockets, the existing general-purpose launch stations can only serve as backup.
To support the high-frequency launches required by commercial space, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has built a dedicated launch station and assembly and testing facility for the Lijian-2 rocket at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Experimental Zone at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The dedicated station supports the Lijian-2’s intensive launches under its “three-level” test and launch mode. The Lijian rocket assembly and testing facility comprehensively covers core functions, including rocket assembly and testing, satellite assembly and testing, batch rocket storage, remote testing, and power assist. It primarily handles pre-launch preparations, including storage, assembly and testing, rocket-satellite docking, and overall transport of rockets and satellites after they leave the factory and arrive at the launch site. Furthermore, the facility enables a rolling backup launch system with “one launch, one backup.”
Relying on the “Lijian” rocket assembly and testing plant and the “Lijian-2” dedicated launch station, China Aerospace Science and Technology has comprehensively built an independent and controllable commercial space launch system that can support the “high-frequency” launches required for commercial space.
The five-core parallel rocket “Lijian-2 Heavy”
Among the reusable rockets planned and developed in China, the basic model of the Lijian-2 is one of the few medium-sized carrier rockets. When it comes to the batch networking launch of small satellites in satellite constellations, a single rocket can also provide larger-scale networking launch services. However, when it comes to the batch networking launch of ton-level constellation satellites such as “StarNet”, a model with stronger carrying capacity is needed, such as the “Lijian-2 Heavy”.
Similar to Russia’s Angara series of launch vehicles, the Power Arrow II series can be created with varying capacity by adjusting the number of core stage boosters. Two core stage boosters are added to the basic Power Arrow II model, forming a five-core parallel (5CBC) rocket, the Power Arrow II Heavy. The five-core parallel launch stage is then clustered and reused, allowing for over 20 reusability.
The Lijian-2 Heavy rocket stands 57 meters tall and weighs 1,021 tons at liftoff. Available with optional fairings of 4.2 and 5.2 meters in diameter, it can carry 22 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 15 tons to a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous Orbit (SSO). In terms of capacity, the Lijian-2 Heavy rocket is comparable to the Tianlong-3 and Suzaku-3 rockets currently under development, boasting a 20-ton payload capacity. It will become the primary rocket for large-scale StarNet (China’s StarNet constellation/satellite internet constellation) network launches.
At the same time, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) will comprehensively develop a commercial space launch system, including a launch site assembly and testing facility and a launch station, to support the “Lijian-2 Heavy” rocket’s high-frequency launch of 60 times per year. Through multiple recovery and reuse, the “Lijian-2 Heavy” rocket will truly achieve “low-cost” launches. With its high capacity, high frequency, and low cost, the “Lijian-2 Heavy” rocket will enter the mainstream of China’s commercial space program for large, reusable launch vehicles, becoming a crucial foundational component in China’s development of an aerospace information network.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s final assembly and testing plant in Jiuquan
Overall, to achieve the constellation’s operational readiness, China Aerospace Science and Technology made trade-offs in developing the Lijian-2. While leveraging mature technology to rapidly develop a highly reliable launch vehicle, this came at the expense of efficiency. The Lijian-2 boasts the size of a large rocket but the carrying capacity of a medium-sized one. One of the main reasons for this is its continued use of a 3.35-meter-diameter body, which limits space utilization and results in a high structural coefficient. This reduces the number of main engines that can be installed in the core first-stage module. A 3.8-meter-diameter body would have allowed for the parallel installation of more main engines, significantly increasing carrying capacity.
While the development of the Lijian-2 series of launch vehicles wasn’t the most optimal approach, the competition in commercial rocketry remains a contest of comprehensive strength. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is a commercial aerospace company with a strong national background. This Chinese Academy of Sciences-affiliated company has long been categorized as a national commercial aerospace team, making it a top choice for national space launch programs. During its development, the Lijian-2 has become the exclusive launch vehicle for the space station’s “Qingzhou” cargo spacecraft. Meanwhile, the “Lijian-2 Heavy,” which is even further from its maiden flight, has been selected as one of the primary launch vehicles for Starlink. Clearly, the Lijian-2 series of rockets, with its own resources, will secure launch orders.
The Lijian-2 rocket is scheduled to make its maiden flight in the fourth quarter of 2025. This will provide the much-needed operational capability for China’s massive satellite constellation network, a medium-sized liquid-propellant carrier rocket with high capacity and reliability. Subsequently, the Lijian-2 will be refitted with reusable engines to achieve recovery and reuse, and a higher-capacity version, the Lijian-2 Heavy, will be added. Ultimately, this will enable the high-capacity, high-frequency, and low-cost launch services required by commercial spaceflight, exemplified by the needs of constellation networks.
