Kinetica 2 rocket on track for inaugural mission in 2025by Riko SeiboTokyo, Japan (SPX) Sep 17, 2025CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is completing development of its new Kinetica 2 rocket and aims to launch it before the end of 2025. That mission will also introduce a new robotic cargo ship named Qingzhou, or Light Ship, designed to resupply the Tiangong space station. The 52-meter-tall Kinetica 2 is a medium-lift, liquid-fuel launcher and the successor to CAS Space's Kinetica 1. Featuring a 3.35-meter-diameter core booster, two side boosters, and a liftoff mass of 625 metric tons, the rocket can generate up to 766 tons of thrust. A technical preparation building and launch pad have been constructed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia.