北京中科宇航探索技术有限公司
CAS Space (Guangzhou Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd.), founded in 2018 and partially owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a Chinese commercial space launch provider. It focuses on developing and manufacturing launch vehicles, including the Kinetica series of rockets, and aims to provide launch services, suborbital science experiments, and space tourism opportunities. CAS Space operates from its headquarters in Guangzhou, with R&D in Beijing, and has established manufacturing facilities, including a dedicated commercial launch pad, to support mass production and frequent launches.
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China’s commercial space sector has a five-way race to be the first to fly a reusable rocket, involving iSpace, Space Pioneer, LandSpace, Galactic Energy, and CAS Space.
CAS Space will introduce a low-cost standardized CubeSat platform for biomedical experiments.
CAS Space successfully performed tests with a low-tech version of the Qingzhou resupply spacecraft on September 15.
CAS Space delayed Kinetica-2’s debut flight from late September to the fourth quarter of 2023.
CAS Space's new facility is part of a plan to promote Guangdong province as a hub for commercial space.
In 2024, CAS Space disclosed a revenue of 243 million Yuan (approximately 34.1 million USD) and operating expenses of 752 million Yuan (approximately 105.64 million USD).
CAS Space's engine test facility in Conghua, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, has been formally opened.
CAS Space plans to develop a five-core version of the Kinetica rocket to send heavy payloads into orbit.
CAS Space aims to fly up to sixty times per year with its Kinetica launch vehicle series.
CAS Space is in the process of an initial public offering to be listed on one of China’s stock exchanges.
CAS Space's valuation is over 11.1 billion Yuan (approximately 1.56 billion USD) as of September 11, 2023.
CAS Space's Lijian-2 rocket is preparing for the launch of the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft to the Tiangong space station.
CAS Space plans to conduct manned flights in low Earth orbit by 2028 using the Lihong-2 reusable vehicle.
Two Russian direct-to-cell 5G satellites are planned to launch on a private Chinese rocket in summer 2026 with the launch provider not yet selected and CAS Space and Galactic Energy named as leading options.
Kinecore-4 will power an optional upper stage for CAS Space’s Kinetica-2 vehicle to enable deliveries to geostationary transfer orbit and deep space.
CAS Space and Galactic Energy are the two leading launch provider candidates to carry two Russian 5G direct-to-cell satellites in summer 2026.
Kinecore-4 is intended to power an optional upper stage for CAS Space’s Kinetica-2 launch vehicle.
CAS Space completed a 650-second firing of its Kinecore-4 engine on September 4, 2025.
CAS Space’s nozzle-less Kinecore-4 produced about 2 tons of thrust during the 650-second test firing.