China completes high-thrust rocket engine test

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- China has completed a test of its high-thrust oxyhydrogen engine designed for a Long March-5 rocket, which will launch the space station lab module Mengtian, the engine maker said Tuesday.

Fired up for 100 seconds during the test on Monday, the engine is now ready to enter the final assembly of the rocket, said the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Designed for the core stage of the Long March-5 series carrier rockets, the engine is the most advanced cryogenic liquid rocket engine ever in China. There will be more than 20 experimental tasks that the rocket engine will undergo to test its performance further.

China will finish the building of its Tiangong space station this year. It will consist of a core module attached to two laboratories, Wentian and Mengtian, with a combined weight of more than 90 tonnes once completed.

Covering 150 square meters, the space station, at that time, could host six taikonauts, the company disclosed.