CAS Space Plans First Reusable Spacecraft Launch For Early 2027
Chinese commercial rocket venture CAS Space will conduct the debut flight of its Lihong 2 reusable spacecraft in the first quarter of 2027, China Daily reported. The vehicle aims to verify rocket recovery technologies from an altitude of about 100 kilometers while carrying payloads such as space medicines and intelligent robots.
The spacecraft measures roughly 18 meters in length with a diameter of 3.35 meters, features a booster rocket and a payload module, and carries a liftoff weight of roughly 60 metric tons. Wang Yingcheng, a senior spacecraft researcher and executive vice-president of CAS Space Frontier Labs in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, stated in an exclusive interview with China Daily that the craft’s design work is finished and ground testing is underway.
Ground Tests and Engine Hot-Fire Trials Underway
Engineering teams have completed wind tunnel tests for both the payload module and booster rocket, alongside propellant retention tests. Intensive engine hot-fire tests and captive carry trials are currently progressing. The upcoming flight will test whether the vehicle can return safely from the Karman Line—the internationally recognized boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere from outer space at roughly 100 kilometers altitude—and land safely on the ground.
The booster rocket relies on three self-developed 30-ton-class Liqing 1 engines propelled by liquid oxygen and kerosene. Wang explained that the 100-kilometer recovery test will verify multiple engine restarts, thrust modulation, propellant management, and navigation, guidance and landing control. These systems and flight experiences will directly inform the reusable variant of the Kinetica 2 rocket model.
Partnership With Guangzhou Laboratory Targets Space Pharmaceuticals
CAS Space partnered with the Guangzhou Laboratory to develop space pharmaceutical payloads destined for the Lihong 2 flight, Xinhua reported. The initial payload group will run protein and small-molecule drug crystallization experiments alongside early technical testing for space pharmaceutical equipment. The Guangzhou Laboratory focuses on respiratory disease prevention and will manage experimental design, sample handling, and result analysis.
Xu Qiang, a lead researcher at the laboratory, noted that modern medicine requires higher-quality structural data, stable drug crystal forms, and more efficient screening tools. Microgravity environments allow certain proteins to form superior crystals and assist in creating 3-dimensional cell aggregates used for disease mechanism studies. Fan Na, vice president of CAS Space, added that the company also established a joint space medicine laboratory with a hospital to accelerate new drug development through rapid data return.
Payload Capacities and Manufacturing Markets
The Lihong 2 vehicle is designed to carry at least 3 tons of payloads or up to seven passengers per flight. Beyond its 2027 debut, CAS Space is developing the Lihong 3 reusable spacecraft, which is tailored for long-duration scientific experiments and space-based manufacturing. Scheduled for a 2028 debut, the Lihong 3 will provide a microgravity environment for up to one year for at least 300 kilograms of manufacturing payloads.
Market analysts project substantial growth for the sector. A report released in May by United States-based consulting firm Future Market Insights valued the global in-space manufacturing market at approximately $6.3 billion in 2025, with projections reaching $46.8 billion by 2036 at a 20 percent compound annual growth rate. Meanwhile, broader space economy estimates from the World Economic Forum anticipate growth from 630 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 to 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2035.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Lihong 2 Program
What specific payloads will fly on the 2027 Lihong 2 debut flight?
The spacecraft will carry protein and small-molecule drug crystallization experiments developed with the Guangzhou Laboratory, alongside intelligent robots and biomedical payloads.
How does the Lihong 2 achieve vertical landing and reusability?
The booster rocket features three self-developed 30-ton-class Liqing 1 engines propelled by liquid oxygen and kerosene, and it features vertical landing capability, which is critical to reusability.
What is the timeline and payload capacity for the subsequent Lihong 3 spacecraft?
Scheduled for a 2028 debut, the Lihong 3 is designed to support at least 300 kilograms of manufacturing payloads in a microgravity environment for up to one year.
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