Chinese Startup Fires 'Blazing' Oxygen-Rich Engine for Deep Space Missions
Gizmodo • • technology
Key Points:
- China’s Mega Engine successfully completed a 1,000-second long-duration hot fire test of its Chi engine, demonstrating rapid startup, stable operation, and intact hardware.
- The Chi engine is a closed-cycle kerosene-liquid oxygen propulsion system designed to produce 35-75 tons of thrust at sea level and about 87 tons in space, using an advanced oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle.
- The engine supports variable thrust and multiple restarts, allowing it to adjust force during flight and reignite several times in a mission.
- Mega Engine aims to use Chi for high-altitude propulsion on medium and large rockets, as well as first-stage propulsion on small and medium rockets.
- The company is also developing a more powerful 200-ton closed-cycle kerolox engine called Yan for heavy-lift vehicles, contributing to China’s broader push for more efficient and reusable liquid-fueled rocket engines.