CAS Space's Lixun-1 upper stage completes propulsion tests; maiden flight planned for Q1 2027
CAS Space's Lixun-1 upper stage completed a full-system integrated test with 566 seconds of cumulative firing and is ready to move to flight testing, with a maiden flight planned for the first quarter of 2027.
On 18 August CAS Space announced that its Lixun-1 upper stage (also called a 'space shuttle bus') had completed its full-system integration test (PV-001), with all systems coordinated and stable and a full-sequence firing of 566 seconds validating the engine's ability to restart reliably. The company said the product is now formally ready to move to the flight-test phase, with a maiden flight planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Lixun-1 uses a 20 kN pressure-fed pintle liquid engine with a design specific impulse of 315 s and more than 20 restarts, in a modular design that fits multiple rockets. The engine completed boundary-condition tests in March 2026 (18 firings, 481 s cumulative) and reliability tests in July (2,906 s cumulative). Target applications include deployment of high-orbit communications constellations, multi-satellite deployment to different orbits and deep-space missions. According to China in Space, the upper stage has already won an order for a geostationary relay-satellite mission from Beijing Xingji Lian Technology.
Our take: CAS Space is in the STAR Market IPO review, and a working upper stage extends its launch services into high orbit and deep space while raising revenue per launch. The key variables before the maiden flight are the schedule of the host rocket and whether existing letters of intent turn into firm contracts.