A specialized mega-factory for the Lijian-2 large liquid-propellant carrier rocket was completed on Tuesday in Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, marking the transition of the rocket model into its mass production phase.
The newly completed facility, under the CAS Space, a leading Chinese commercial space enterprise, integrates final assembly, testing, and processing of core sections. It features dedicated production areas for critical liquid-propellant rocket components, including propellant tanks, pipe valves, interstage sections, and conduits.
The facility is equipped with pulsed assembly lines for final assembly and testing, enabling the parallel and continuous production of multiple rockets.
"During the production process, we continue to introduce automated equipment and a series of relevant intelligent manufacturing systems to improve our production efficiency and the quality of our products," said Li Qinfeng, deputy chief designer of the Lijian-2 at CAS Space.
Lijian-2 is China's first carrier rocket to feature a common booster core. It successfully completed its maiden flight on March 30. Using a standardized modular design, both the core stage and boosters employ the same modules, which allows major components to be mass-produced and significantly simplifies the manufacturing process.
"Once at full capacity, the facility can deliver 12 Lijian-2 carrier rockets per year. In the future, if we continue to optimize our processes, including a series of upgrades to our automated equipment, the production capacity could increase further," Li said.
Lijian-2 carrier rocket enters mass production with new mega-factory ready
