&#34;I announce that this launch mission has been a complete success!&#34; On the evening of March 30, this announcement came from a control room in the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Area. The observation area at the launch site erupted in cheers.
At 19:00 on March 30, the liquid launch vehicle Li Jian No. 2 Remote 1 Launch Vehicle · International Textile Capital (hereinafter referred to as &#34;Li Jian No. 2&#34;) developed by China Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as &#34;China Aerospace&#34;) successfully made its maiden flight, accurately sending the light boat prototype test spacecraft (New Journey 02 satellite), New Journey 01 satellite, and Tian Shi satellite 01 into the designated orbit.
For China Aerospace, this is a historic moment. The successful maiden flight of Li Jian No. 2 marks a breakthrough in the Li Jian series of rockets in terms of large payload capacity, low cost, and high-frequency launches. For China's commercial aerospace industry, this signifies the successful launch of another domestically produced liquid launch vehicle into orbit. The technical path of Li Jian No. 2 differs from other domestically produced reusable rockets that have been successfully launched into orbit, indicating that China's exploration of reusable launch vehicles is advancing along multiple technological paths.
<h2>Future Attempts at Cluster Recovery</h2>
Li Jian No. 2 is China's first successfully launched CBC (Common Booster Core) configuration launch vehicle. CBC refers to a rocket design scheme that uses multiple identical core modules in parallel to achieve flexible expansion of payload capacity. From the design scheme of Li Jian No. 2, the first stage of the launch vehicle consists of three common core modules in parallel, each using a standard tank with a diameter of 3.35 meters, and each equipped with three liquid oxygen-kerosene engines. During the rocket launch, a total of 9 engines in the first stage operate simultaneously.
The CBC configuration allows Li Jian No. 2 to have a more flexible and adjustable payload capacity. Currently, the diameter of the common core module of Li Jian No. 2 is 3.35 meters, with a payload capacity of 8 tons for a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit and 12 tons for a 200-kilometer low Earth orbit. In the future, Li Jian No. 2 can flexibly adjust its payload capacity by adding 2 more boosters through a &#34;block-style&#34; combination, fully meeting the construction needs of large-scale low-orbit constellations such as the National Grid Constellation and Qianfan Constellation, as well as low-cost cargo transportation needs for space stations.
In terms of recovery plans, Li Jian No. 2 will adopt a cluster recovery method, meaning that multiple common core modules will not separate after completing their mission but will remain bundled together as a whole to return to the ground and land vertically.
&#34;In simple terms, the cluster recovery explored by Li Jian No. 2 means that the first stage and boosters do not separate, but are tied together to go into space and must return as a whole and land vertically,&#34; an industry insider who wished to remain anonymous told Securities Daily. This places higher demands on the flight control capabilities of rocket companies and also means that the overall mass of the recovered rocket is greater, resulting in less payload loss.
Yang Haoliang, the chief commander of Li Jian No. 2, stated in an interview with reporters from Securities Daily and other media that China Aerospace will first verify the recovery technology through the Li Hong series of vehicles, accumulate recovery data, reduce development risks, and then transfer the recovery technology to medium and large launch vehicles, using the common core module bundling and cluster recovery scheme to achieve the goal of recovering large payload launch vehicles into orbit
&#34;Globally, only two companies have achieved rocket reusability, but there is no successful precedent for the clustered recovery of CBC configuration rockets,&#34; said the industry insider. The Li Jian No. 2 boldly explores a new recovery path, fully demonstrating China's commercial aerospace spirit of daring to innovate and break through.
<h2>High-Capacity Rocket's Intensive Maiden Flight</h2>
The core goal of pursuing rocket reusability technology is to reduce costs.
Yang Haoliang stated that currently, the single launch cost of the Li Jian No. 2 rocket in a non-recovery state is comparable to the single launch cost of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket in a recovery state, and the cost is expected to drop to half of SpaceX's after achieving recovery.
To achieve the low-cost goal, the Li Jian series of launch vehicles innovatively adopts a dual-path cost reduction strategy of &#34;design source + mass production.&#34; The first stage of the Li Jian No. 2 rocket core and the booster stage are designed with a unified structure, with 9 engines in the first stage and 1 engine in the second stage using the same power module. The integrated measurement and control avionics system is fully interchangeable with that of the Li Jian No. 1 rocket, achieving a unified core product line for the rocket. Additionally, by drawing on the logic of automotive automation production lines and modular development, the Li Jian No. 2 rocket can achieve an annual production capacity of 20 launches.
The increase in capacity can effectively dilute the fixed costs of each launch through economies of scale, significantly reducing the price of putting payloads into orbit per unit mass and enhancing the market competitiveness of commercial launches. Currently, the Li Jian No. 2 has a payload capacity of 8 tons to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit and 12 tons to a 200 km low Earth orbit, with expandable configurations of 0/2/4 bundles, flexibly covering the payload range of 2 to 20 tons in low Earth orbit.
Liu Shang, General Manager and Managing Partner of Jinsha Capital, told the Securities Daily reporter that the long-term goal of China's commercial aerospace industry is to achieve true low-cost commercialization through the synergy of high capacity and reusability technology. However, given the urgent pace of current constellation construction, the demand for high-capacity rockets is prioritized.
This judgment is based on two aspects of realistic pressure.
First, the launch demand for satellite internet is increasing. The 2026 Government Work Report first proposed accelerating the development of satellite internet. Currently, without high-capacity rockets as support, it is difficult to accelerate the construction of satellite internet.
Second, the cargo transport tasks for the space station have raised higher requirements for payload capacity. After the initial flight of the light boat prototype spacecraft into orbit, it will conduct key technology verification for in-orbit flight, and the subsequent light boat cargo spacecraft will dock with the Chinese space station and provide upward cargo transport services for the Chinese space station. The regular operation of the space station requires stable and large-tonnage capacity support.
The successful launch of the Li Jian No. 2 marks the beginning of intensive launches of high-capacity rockets in China's commercial aerospace sector. Several powerful rockets have already scheduled launch timelines, and a competition focused on high capacity, low cost, and reusability is accelerating.
It is reported that Jiangsu Tianbing Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd.'s self-developed Tianlong No. 3 will have its maiden flight soon. It is introduced that the Tianlong No. 3 has a low Earth orbit payload capacity of up to 22 tons and can achieve &#34;one rocket, 36 satellites&#34; networked launches
The self-developed Gravity II program by Dongfang Space is scheduled for its maiden flight in 2026, with a near-Earth orbit capacity of 21.5 tons, featuring a core stage recovery design, aimed at medium to large satellite constellation networking and commercial high-orbit launches. The reusable launch vehicle Hyperbola III developed by Interstellar Glory Space Technology Group Co., Ltd. is also set for its first flight in 2026, exploring offshore recovery.
Wang Xing, chief analyst of the telecommunications industry at Huatai Securities, told the Securities Daily that in the future, the combination of high-capacity rockets and recovery technology will form two synergistic models based on the different development stages of satellite constellations, systematically releasing launch capacity and reducing costs.
He believes that during the constellation networking window period, China's commercial space industry can adopt a model centered on high capacity and supported by recovery. High-capacity rockets, with their extremely high payload capacity per launch, can achieve large-scale deployment of &#34;dozens of satellites with one rocket,&#34; completing the basic framework of the constellation in the shortest time and seizing limited orbital and frequency resources. At the same time, recovery technology minimizes the marginal cost of each launch through the reuse of a sub-stage, making high-frequency, high-density networking launches commercially feasible. Once the constellation enters a normalized operation and maintenance phase, the commercial space launch model may shift to one based on recovery, supplemented by high capacity.
Wang Xing stated that the synergy of these two models will pave a low-cost, scalable, and sustainable development path for China's commercial space industry.
<h2>Multiple Technical Bottlenecks Still to Be Overcome</h2>
Behind the applause and cheers, a more realistic question emerges. How far are we from the era of commercial space launches driven by low-cost, high-frequency satellite launches enabled by high capacity and reusability?
In Wang Xing's view, with the development of the commercial space industry, the bottleneck of domestic self-developed rockets in enhancing capacity has shifted from &#34;can it reach orbit&#34; to &#34;can it provide low-cost, high-frequency high capacity.&#34; Among these, breakthroughs in large-thrust liquid oxygen-methane or liquid oxygen-kerosene engines are fundamental. To support capacity demands similar to that of Starship, further research and development of large-thrust engines with full-flow staged combustion cycles are still needed.
If the engine determines the upper limit of capacity, then rocket recovery technology determines the lower limit of cost. Yang Haoliang admitted that rocket recovery technology is a key path to reducing launch costs, requiring continuous breakthroughs in core challenges such as aerodynamic thermal protection for large airspace wide-speed domains, real-time online guidance under nonlinear constraints, liquid propulsion deep throttling, and multiple restarts.
Positive signals are emerging. In the face of these technical bottlenecks, China's commercial space industry is actively seeking systematic breakthroughs.
In the field of large-thrust engines, some commercial rocket companies are gradually conducting tests on larger thrust engines, marking continuous breakthroughs in China's large-thrust high-performance liquid rocket engine sector.
At the same time, in the context of limited thrust from a single engine, multiple engines in parallel have become a feasible technical path to enhance capacity, with the CBC configuration of Lijian II being a typical application of this idea.
In terms of rocket recovery technology, several commercial rocket companies have announced plans to attempt rocket recovery tests this year. These efforts are collectively pushing China's commercial space industry from single-point breakthroughs to systematic capability enhancement
The successful maiden flight of the Li Jian No. 2 rocket demonstrates to the world that China's commercial rockets have the hard power for heavy-lift launches. The Li Jian No. 2 and a series of heavy-lift rockets provide important support for the batch networking of satellites and high-frequency launches, accelerating the large-scale development of China's commercial aerospace industry.
Liu Shang believes that this year, China will achieve a key breakthrough in rocket reuse technology, at which point the commercial aerospace industry will continue to iterate around reliability enhancement, payload capacity optimization, and cost reduction in recovery.
Risk Warning and Disclaimer
The market has risks, and investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment goals, financial conditions, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article align with their specific circumstances. Investment based on this is at one's own risk

688239

Zhongke Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. successfully conducted the maiden flight of the Lijian-2 launch vehicle on March 30, marking the entry of China's commercial space industry into the era of large payload capacity. This rocket features a clustered design, with low cost and high-frequency launch capabilities, allowing for flexible adjustments in payload capacity to meet the demands of large-scale low Earth orbit constellation construction and cargo transportation to space stations. The successful launch of Lijian-2 provides a new technological pathway for the exploration of reusable launch vehicles in our country

From "Can it enter orbit" to "Cost victory" China's commercial space industry enters the era of large payload capacity