Star River Power Group Chief Engineer Li Jun: It is expected that the liquid recovery rocket Zhi Shenxing II will make its maiden flight this year.

At the 2026 Beijing International Commercial Aerospace Forum, Chief Engineer Li Jun of Star River Power revealed that Star River Power's liquid recovery rocket, SmartStar II, is expected to make its first flight in 2026. SmartStar II is a large modular reusable liquid carrier rocket with a diameter of 4.5m, including two configurations: the basic type and the CBC type. The basic type has a takeoff mass of about 757 tons, a takeoff thrust of about 910 tons, and a LEO payload capacity of 20 tons; the CBC configuration has a takeoff mass of about 1950 tons, a takeoff thrust of about 2730 tons, and a LEO payload capacity of 58 tons.