BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese commercial space company CAS Space recently completed a series of propulsion system tests for its upper stage Kinastra-1 and plans to make its maiden flight in the first quarter of next year. This will provide a powerful boost to China's commercial space launch capabilities for deep-space missions, Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday.
The upper stage works like a "space shuttle bus." It does not launch from the ground, but only performs transfer operations in space. After a rocket delivers the upper stage and satellite payloads into space, the upper stage takes over the mission, transferring satellites between orbits. This approach saves satellites' fuel and allows multiple satellites to be deployed into different orbits during a single launch mission.
This month, Kinastra-1 conducted comprehensive tests of the engine pressurization system, propellant feed system, propellant management system, and servo control system.
The tests also verified three core technologies of Kinastra-1: high-thrust, high-performance, and multi-restart technology; multi-tank parallel and balanced propellant feed technology; and highly reliable integrated electrical design technology.
The new upper stage is equipped with an engine that has accumulated 5,211 seconds of firing time. It can perform more than 20 ignitions, autonomously plan orbital transfer trajectories, and adapt to complex space environments such as vacuum and extreme temperatures. Its universal modular design enables adaptation to multiple rocket types.
CAS Space said that Kinastra-1 supports complex missions such as high-orbit communication constellation deployment, multi-satellite deployment into different orbits, and deep-space exploration. ■
