Tiangong Creates Rocket Fuel, New Unique Reusable Rocket, New Chang'e 8 Partners
China's space sector has begun the year strong with various technology breakthroughs.
With time off for the Spring Festival (春节) currently underway a flurry of news came out toward the end of January. Some of this news was JZYJ increasing the capability of its Longyun engine, Chang’e 8 gaining two small robots, as well as rocket fuel being produced aboard Tiangong. Additionally reports about life on Tiangong for the Shenzhou-19 crew were shared while a new reusable rocket company completed its first funding round.
Nayuta Space completes initial funding round
Nayuta Space (千亿航天) announced on January 24th that it had completed a Pre-A series funding round worth tens of millions of Yuan with various investors. While no exact figure was stated the company shared that it will use the funds to expand its team and their talents.
Interestingly Nayuta Space already has plans for a partially reusable rocket, with hints of full reuse later on, utilizing aerobraking and a catch tower for booster recovery. This rocket is called Xuanniao-1 (玄鸟-1), Black Bird-1 in English, and is stated to be 70 meters tall, 3.8 meters in diameter, utilizing a 5.2-meter diameter fairing, massing 480,000 kilograms fully fuelled, and burning liquid methane and liquid oxygen in two stages. The first-stage is planned to be powered by nine engines, generating 70 tons of thrust each, while the second-stage has one vacuum-optimized engine, generating 80 tons of thrust.
Nayuta Space believes that by utilizing aerobraking for the descent of their booster they can stage the rocket faster by removing fuel for an atmospheric entry burn, instead investing in four small aerodynamic surfaces as well as a more heat resistance booster material. Atmospheric booster entry is believed to be feasible thanks to a much slower speed than will be experienced if coming from orbital velocity.
A catch tower, similar to what SpaceX and Cosmoleap are developing, is expected to further save weight which can be used to give the second-stage more velocity. Recovery with a catch tower would still see a few engines relighting to slow down the booster and to transfer it into a vertical position.
With both aerobraking and a tower catch Nayuta Space believes they can deliver between 2,000 and 4,000 kilograms more payload into orbit compared to conventional reusable rockets, like Falcon 9, Zhuque-3, or Tianlong-3.
Nayuta Space has not provided a proposed first flight target year but much development is ahead. So far the company has signaled that they want to develop all necessary systems in-house. Substantial time and financial resources could be saved if they instead opt to source their engines from JZYJ, specifically Longyun, and maybe even the catch tower from Cosmoleap as they are developing similar-sized boosters with tower recovery planned.
Rocket fuel produced in orbit aboard Tiangong
Xinhua and the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on January 20th, citing a research progress release by the China Manned Space Agency, that an experiment onboard the Tiangong Space Station had produced ingredients needed for rocket fuel. For producing the fuel twelve experiments took place, with work beginning on the process in 2015.
The process for creating the fuel, oxygen and ethylene in recent tests, is said to be a form of artificial photosynthesis that can be carried out under ambient temperature and pressure conditions. This process is also stated to be capable of solar-to-chemical, solar-to-electrical-to-chemical, and solar-to-thermal-to-chemical energy conversion, with solar being the choice of power generation to drive an electrolyzer. According to a CCTV report quoted by the SCMP, the technology works as follows:
“This technology mimics the natural photosynthesis process of green plants through engineered physical and chemical methods, utilising carbon dioxide resources in confined spaces or extraterrestrial atmospheres to produce oxygen and carbon-based fuels”
According to the Xinhua report, the experiments verified critical technological processes, including room-temperature carbon dioxide conversion, gas movement and separation in solid-liquid-gas reactions under microgravity, and the precise control of gas and liquid flow rates in space.
This process of creating fuel is expected to be useful for turning lunar regolith or carbon dioxide from Mars' atmosphere into rocket fuels. It may also be used to generate breathable oxygen or water for crews aboard a Moon, reducing the amount of cargo needed to sustain a base.
Chang’e 8 gains new partners
The Chang’e 8 mission destined to land on the Moon in 2028 has gained three new partners, STAR.VISION, Zhejiang University, and the Middle East Technical University.
STAR.VISION is a self-described pioneer of AI-driven satellite technology for advancing forestry, mining, agriculture, and urban security processes with advanced space computing technology. Zhejiang University (浙江大学) is a university based in Zhejiang province’s capital city, Hangzhou (杭州市), focused on cultivating innovative, globally minded talents, and advancing cutting-edge research. The Middle East Technical University (Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi) is a university based in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, focused on education and research in social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.
STAR.VISION released a short statement upon being selected for the Chang’e 8 mission, which is as follows:
“Approved by the China National Space Administration, STAR.VISION, as the Chinese first private enterprise to participate in the lunar exploration program, has jointly developed the AI micro-exploration robot solution with Zhejiang University and Middle East Technical University.”
“This solution has been selected for the Chang'e-8 International Cooperation Program and is planned to land on the Moon in 2028.”
Zhejiang University, the Middle East Technical University, and STAR.VISION will work on two roughly five kilogram micro-exploration robots for use on the lunar surface. Both robots are planned to include AI computing for enhancing their decision making capabilities while exploring. On the surface the two robots will also maintain a link to the Chang’e 8 lander.
A major focus during the development stage is stated to be the miniaturization of various components while ensuring reliability and efficiency. This development stage is expected to end before August 2027, when the robots are handed over to the China National Space Administration for work on integrating the Chang’e 8 spacecraft.
JZYJ increases Longyun engine's maximum thrust
In its 2024 recap released on January 28th, Jiuzhou Yunjian (九州云箭), often shortened to just JZYJ, noted that its liquid methane and liquid oxygen burning Longyun engine had reached a new maximum thrust of 80 tons. The company also noted that the engine had passed over 17,000 seconds of testing while increasing the engine’s thrust-to-weight ratio to 110, giving it an approximate weight of 727.5 kilograms (DeepSeek LLM estimate).
Various other milestones throughout last year were also noted such as the expansion of the company’s manufacturing base in Anhui province (安徽), completing two funding rounds worth over 120 million Yuan (approximately 16.5 million USD on February 1st), a headcount increase of approximately forty percent, and delivery of the first batch of engines to customers.
The Longyun engine has already seen use on the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology’s hop test vehicles for proving technologies of reusable rockets in June 2024 and in mid-January. Another company utilizing Longyun is Space Epoch with its own reusable rocket test program, and speculatively Cosmoleap’s Leap-1 launch vehicle.
Shenzhou-19 crew share life in Tiangong
At the end of January, CCTV+ shared a video and China Daily/Xinhua released a report about life aboard the Tiangong Space Station for the Shenzhou-19 crew, who are halfway through their mission. CCTV+’s video focused on Wang Haoze (王浩泽), who shared the following:
“Since entering our space home, we have seen the three cabins and two crafts of the space ‘mansion’, as well as the sophisticated systems on board. We’ve also conducted many cutting-edge scientific experiments. Our space journey has now spanned three months.”
“Although busy, our life is full of fun. We are in space and can fly freely in the cabin. We are strong, and can easily lift dozens of kilograms of weight. We also grow vegetables, raise fruit flies, and interact with our smart assistant Xiao Hang on board. Of course, our favorite activity is to watch the magnificent mountains and rivers of our motherland from the porthole.”
“To counter the impact of weightlessness on our body, we have many ways to exercise. The three main exercise tools are the space treadmill, the space bicycle ergometer, and the resistance training equipment. These exercise measures ensure our physical health, from bones to muscles to cardiovascular function. Coupled with a balanced and nutritious diet, they keep the three of us in excellent health while living well in space.”
“On weekends, if we are free, we will call our families and chat about everyday life. In my leisure time, I also enjoy writing a space diary or admiring the Earth’s scenery, looking at the oceans, continents, mountains, and rivers.”
China Daily and Xinhua’s report had comments from all three taikonauts. The report noted that this was Cai Xuzhe’s (蔡旭哲) second time aboard Tiangong who described returning as a warm and familiar feeling. Cai added that thanks to routine emergency training working on the station was safer and more efficient, especially in unexpected situations. In recent weeks Cai and Song Lingdong (宋令东) have conducted two spacewalks outside of the station, with Song describing the experience as:
"Before my first EVA, I imagined what it would be like, but nothing prepared me for the moment I opened the hatch and saw Earth. It was breathtaking," — "Climbing on the module walls, I felt as if I was walking on clouds." — "I was mesmerized by the beauty of space, but at the same time, I felt the weight of our mission"
Song added that before the spacewalks both he and Cai ate high-calorie meals before donning their spacesuits, with drinks available inside the suit during the spacewalk. Thanks to this Song said that he did not feel hungry despite being outside of the station for nine hours at most.
A few days ago the Spring Festival (春节) took place with the crew taking part in the celebrations. For the festival all three taikonauts took time off to rest, celebrate, and to call their families, with Song adding that he was documenting his experiences on board for his children.
As mentioned earlier the Shenzhou-19 crew is halfway through their mission. Currently, the crew is expected to return to Earth in late March or early April, after the Shenzhou-20 mission arrives onboard Tiangong.
Qianfan sets up Kazakh subsidiary
Reported on January 24th, Spacesail, operator of the Qianfan mega-constellation, has set up a Kazakh subsidiary called Spacesail Kazakhstan with 17 million United States Dollars in registered capital at Astana International Financial Centre.
Through the subsidiary, Spacesail is reported to be planning to establish a local facility to integrate its satellite internet services with Kazakhstan’s communication infrastructure. According to the report, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry is expected to formalize cooperation with Spacesail by signing a memorandum of understanding within the year, after which a timeline for the satellite internet services rollout in Kazakhstan will be announced. Spacesail’s Kazakh subsidiary has also reportedly said they will comply with requirements needed by the nation’s government.
Currently, Spacesail is expecting to provide regular internet coverage in China and surrounding regions by the end of 2025, and regular internet coverage worldwide by the end of 2027. So far seventy-two satellites have been launched for the mega-constellation, with around seven hundred expected for the start of worldwide services. A few months ago Spacesail also signed an agreement with Brazil to provide its services. Both Kazakhstan and Brazil were listed as part of early service rollout plans along with, Uzbekistan, Oman, Malaysia, and Pakistan.
Section partly taken from my work on Cosmic Nxws’ January 2025 newsletter.