Xiandeng Aerospace, legally known as Shenzhen Xiandeng Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (also trading as Ascendx), is an emerging Chinese commercial space launch company based in Shenzhen, China, People’s Republic of China.
Xiandeng operates within the rapidly growing ecosystem of Chinese private space companies looking to commercialize orbital launches and compete in the broader market for low-Earth orbit payload deliver. Building special rockets designed specifically for 100- to 500-kilogram class small satellites. It also specializes in precision-engineered ground infrastructure such as mobile launch platforms, control systems, and integrated support module Founded in 2024 by Ge Minghe—a former executive at Landspace—the startup focuses on developing medium-lift, reusable rocket technology: Planning the development of a 1.5-stage reusable launch vehicle.
[The XD-3 rocket is scheduled for its maiden flight between the fourth quarter of 2027 and the first quarter of 2028, and will enter commercial operation in 2028.]
Recently, Shenzhen Xiandeng Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Xiandeng Aerospace”) officially put its dedicated rocket assembly and testing facility at the Haiyang Maritime Commercial Space Launch Site in Shandong Province into operation. The company’s core product, the XD-3 small liquid-fueled launch vehicle, has completed its design and assembly work. These two milestones mark significant progress for Xiandeng Aerospace in rocket engineering development, laying a solid foundation for the maiden flight of the XD-3 launch vehicle in 2027.
The assembly and testing facility is located at the Oriental Spaceport .
The Oriental Spaceport, located in Haiyang City, Shandong Province, is China’s first maritime commercial space launch site. Leveraging its unique geographical advantages and comprehensive port facilities, it has become a strategic location for domestic commercial aerospace companies. Xiandeng Aerospace has a 3,000-square-meter dedicated assembly and testing facility there, capable of meeting the full-process needs of rocket assembly, integration testing, and launch erection, providing comprehensive launch support for the XD-3’s maiden flight in 2027.
The commissioning of the factory signifies that Xiandeng Aerospace now possesses independent rocket assembly and testing capabilities. Equipped with advanced lifting equipment and precision measurement systems, the factory can support the entire development process, from segment assembly to full rocket assembly, and from single-unit testing to system integration testing.
The
XD-3 prototype rocket, designed to a 1:1 scale with a real flight rocket, uses low-cost, full-size equivalent test pieces to proactively identify and resolve potential problems in assembly, interface matching, and cable laying, verifying the coordination and compatibility of all rocket system interfaces and launch support systems. The XD-3 prototype rocket’s
design and assembly were driven by both material innovation and process optimization. The completion of the prototype rocket provides multiple support for Xiandeng Aerospace’s subsequent development work:
● Design verification closed loop :
From digital model to physical structure, the entire chain of design-manufacturing-assembly verification is completed, ensuring the engineering feasibility of the design scheme.
● Process system finalization :
Through assembly practice, standardized process specifications for segmented connection, pipeline and cable laying, etc., have been formed, which can be directly transferred and applied to the final assembly of the flight rocket.
● Team Capability Building:
The team’s practical experience accumulated in key areas such as material substitution, process breakthroughs, and precision control provides core technological capabilities for subsequent rocket development.
● Risk Control Prioritized:
Before the rocket enters production, technical risks such as interface incompatibility, process infeasibility, equipment interference, erection, and transportation are mitigated in advance, avoiding rework of the final product and ensuring development milestones are met.
The completion of the XD-3 prototype rocket signifies that design risks have been fully released and engineering risks are controllable, laying a solid foundation for the 2027 first flight timeline.
XD-3 Launch Vehicle Main Technical Parameters:
The XD-3 is a small liquid-fueled launch vehicle independently developed by Xiandeng Aerospace. It adopts a two-stage orbital insertion configuration, with two liquid oxygen/kerosene engines in the first stage and one liquid oxygen/kerosene engine in the second stage. The rocket body has a diameter of 2.9 meters, a takeoff mass of 195 tons, and possesses rapid response launch capabilities. This rocket is precisely positioned in the 1.5-2.0 ton “golden” payload capacity range, targeting the needs of small satellite constellation deployment and medium-to-large satellite resupply, filling the gap in domestic liquid rockets of this payload capacity. The single-engine BOM cost is expected to decrease by more than 30% compared to existing mature solutions. Its 500 km SSO orbit payload capacity reaches 2.2 tons, employing a mature subsystem design and prioritizing reliability.
With its maiden flight imminent in 2027, commercial operation is poised to begin.
According to the development plan, the XD-3 rocket will achieve its maiden flight between the fourth quarter of 2027 and the first quarter of 2028, entering the commercial operation phase in 2028. Currently, related products for avionics, structure, and launch support systems will be delivered successively in the second half of 2026. The commissioning of the Haiyang assembly and testing plant and the completion of the assembly of the prototype test rocket are important milestones in the development of Xiandeng Aerospace, marking the imminent transition of the XD-3 rocket from the design phase to the engineering implementation phase. As the 2027 maiden flight target draws ever closer, the company will continue to steadily advance all development work to ensure the complete success of the maiden flight mission .
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