July 3 — Xinghe Power Aerospace said its domestically developed Cangqiong-50
reusable LOX/kerosene engine completed its 163rd routine hot-fire on July 1 at
the Niutoushan power-system test center. The company said it has completed 57
engine hot-fire runs to date, with cumulative test time of 20,088s and a
single-unit maximum cumulative run time of 2,757s. The Cangqiong-50 is designed
for at least 25 reuses; more than 40 engines of this type have been assembled
and delivered. The Zhishenxing-1 mid-to-large reusable liquid launch vehicle,
powered by Cangqiong-50, is scheduled for a near-term maiden flight and will
begin staged recovery validation thereafter.
