CAS Space Completes Ground Tests for Reusable Lihong 2 Spacecraft Ahead of 2027 Debut

The commercial space industry's push to break the monopoly on low-cost, reusable orbital access is rapidly expanding beyond the United States. As companies race to develop vehicles capable of frequent flights, Chinese commercial space venture CAS Space has emerged as a serious contender in the reusable spacecraft sector.

The Guangzhou-based company announced today that it has completed the design and initial ground tests for its first reusable spacecraft, the Lihong 2. According to CAS Space Frontier Labs executive vice-president Wang Yingcheng, the company has successfully finished wind tunnel and propellant retention tests. The engineering team is now conducting intensive engine hot-fire and captive carry tests ahead of a planned debut flight in early 2027.

The 18-meter-long Lihong 2 is designed for vertical landing and rapid reuse, powered by three proprietary 30-ton-class Liqing 1 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines. With a liftoff weight of roughly 60 metric tons, the vehicle can carry up to three tons of payload or seven passengers past the Karman line. The platform will initially serve as a verification testbed for rocket recovery technologies, including thrust modulation, propellant management, and precision landing control.

Beyond suborbital tourism, the development signals a strategic pivot toward the projected $46 billion in-space manufacturing market. CAS Space is already developing a larger variant, the Lihong 3, scheduled for a 2028 debut to provide long-duration microgravity environments for orbital manufacturing. By mastering vertical recovery and reusability, the company is positioning itself as a foundational infrastructure provider for China's growing commercial space economy.