China builds factory for mass production of Lijian-2 rockets

China has reportedly built a factory to enable mass production of its liquid-fueled Lijian-2 rocket, developed for commercial space launches.

According to a report by China Global Television Network, the facility—completed in Shaoxing city in the eastern Zhejiang—brings together component manufacturing, assembly, and testing units under one roof, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

The factory aims to establish a self-sufficient supply chain, with production lines for liquid fuel tanks and systems, intermediate structures, pipes, valves, and other components. It is expected to reach a capacity of producing 12 rockets annually within 3 to 5 years.

The establishment of the factory is seen as a major step for China’s commercial space sector, enabling a transition from single-unit production to mass manufacturing and improving technological capability in the rocket industry.

The rockets produced at the facility are intended for deploying large satellite constellations into low, medium, and high Earth orbits.

“Powerful rocket”

Developed by CAS Space, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Lijian-2 rocket is a liquid-fueled launch vehicle capable of carrying 12 tons to Low Earth Orbit and 7.8 tons to Sun-synchronous orbit.

The rocket is 53 meters long and 3.35 meters wide, consisting of two liquid-fueled stages. Its first launch took place on March 30.

The name “Lijian” means “powerful rocket” in Chinese, and it is also referred to as “Kinetica” in English. The rocket series is being developed to meet growing global demand for launching various types and large numbers of satellites.

The solid-fueled first version, Lijian-1, carried a total of 92 satellites into space across 12 launches between 2022 and 2026.

In the future, Lijian rockets are expected to be capable of launching more than 50 satellites in a single mission.