China's commercial space industry has reached a new milestone with the successful maiden flight of the Lijian-2 Y1 carrier rocket developed by CAS Space, the Guangzhou-based commercial aerospace firm majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The rocket was recently launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in Northwest China, successfully deploying multiple payloads, including the Qingzhou Cargo Spacecraft Test Vehicle and two additional satellites, into their designated orbits.

Pictured is the fairing assembly of the Lijian-2 Y1 carrier rocket. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

This inaugural flight highlights a series of technological innovations, particularly its modular design and planned recoverability. Experts suggest these features could fundamentally reshape rocket manufacturing and operations.

A key innovation is the standardized design of the rocket's core stage and boosters, which are nearly identical. This uniformity enables batch production of major components, allowing assembly akin to "building blocks" and significantly streamlining manufacturing.

Lian Jie, deputy chief designer of the Lijian-2 rocket, explained that all key components adhere to uniform specifications. If a component malfunctions before launch, it can be quickly replaced like a standard part, minimizing delays and enabling a high-frequency launch capability.

The same philosophy applies to the rocket's engines. Unlike traditional designs, where core stages and boosters use different engines, the Lijian-2 employs a unified engine model.

The first stage utilizes nine fully interchangeable liquid rocket engines, while the second stage features a modified version of the same engine with a larger nozzle for enhanced high-altitude efficiency. Essentially, all 10 engines share the same core design, simplifying maintenance and replacement.

Lian Jie further noted that the modular core and boosters allow the Lijian-2 to be configured with zero, two or four boosters. This flexibility provides a maximum thrust of up to 1,000 tons, with a low Earth orbit payload capacity ranging from 2 to 20 tons.

The rocket is designed to support diverse missions, including cost-effective cargo transport, satellite constellation deployment in low orbit and the launch of scientific experimental satellites.

Beyond modular manufacturing, the Lijian-2 series is pioneering a novel recovery approach. Departing from traditional stage-by-stage retrieval, it plans an integrated recovery scheme in which the boosters and core stage remain connected and return to Earth as a single unit.

According to Lian, this method offers improved aerodynamic control, reduced landing impact, stronger propulsion redundancy and less payload loss. It also increases the proportion of recoverable components while simplifying recovery systems, further reducing launch costs.

Currently, cargo missions to China's space station are primarily carried out by the Tianzhou spacecraft series. To further reduce transportation costs and improve flexibility, China is exploring a new space logistics model driven by national demand and supported by commercial capabilities.

Within this framework, the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft has been developed as a lighter, more adaptable option. Weighing just 4.2 tons, it features a single-module integrated design and can be launched by multiple types of rockets.

The Qingzhou Cargo Spacecraft Test Vehicle on this mission carried 27 projects, including technology validation experiments, in-orbit testing, scientific research and science outreach projects, with a total payload weight of 1.02 tons. It will conduct a series of experiments at altitudes between 200 and 600 kilometers.

An expert from the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences noted that the test vehicle will focus on verifying key in-orbit technologies. Once operational, the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft is planned to dock with China's space station and provide regular cargo delivery services.

Yang Haoliang, Commander-in-Chief of the Lijian-2 Y1 project, stated that the successful maiden flight, carrying the Qingzhou prototype, demonstrated China's evolving space cargo transport capabilities. He highlighted a shift "from the accumulation of individual capabilities to a more integrated, system-level approach."

"Commercial rockets will not only serve market needs but also take part in major national space missions to formal engineering standards in the future. We aim to provide more cost-effective and reliable, flight-ready launch services," Yang added.