1. Company Profile Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd., established in March 2021, is an incubator of Northwestern Polytechnical University. It focuses on the development of reusable liquid launch vehicle engines and commercial launch vehicles. Its products cover different tonnage rocket engines and commercial launch vehicles. Business model: In the early stage of development, it will sell commercial liquid engine supporting products and related technical services to domestic aerospace-related enterprises; in the later stage of development, it will sell engines and charge launch service fees, thereby realizing a closed-loop business model. 2. Introduction to the Founder Liu Hongjun: graduated from the National University of Defense Technology, PhD in Engineering, chief scientist of civil aerospace at the Ningbo Research Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, responsible expert of the National 863 Expert Group for the 15th, 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, former chief engineer of the liquid rocket engine series of the Sixth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group, and deputy chief engineer of the Long March 6 launch vehicle.
3. Industrial layout (one center and two bases)
Center 1 (Xi’an): Liquid Rocket Engine and Launch Vehicle R&D Center.
Engine batch production and testing base (Mianyang): Build a rocket engine factory building with a construction area of about 32,000 square meters. It is planned to build one 85-level and one 2t-level liquid rocket engine production lines. The annual production capacity is 100 units of the 85t level and 100 units of the 2t level. An engine test bed covering an area of 50 acres will be constructed simultaneously.
Launch vehicle manufacturing and testing base (tentatively named Wenchang): Establish a commercial launch vehicle manufacturing and large-scale testing base to form a one-stop industrial cluster integrating rocket manufacturing, component testing, rocket assembly, transportation, and rocket launch.
4. Product Type Spectrum
(1) Launch vehicles: Huilong 1 and Huilong 2
1. Huilong-1: Under development, two boosters are bundled, each booster is equipped with one Red Dragon-1 liquid oxygen and kerosene engine (self-developed), and three Red Dragon-1 liquid oxygen and kerosene engines are installed on the first stage.
Arrow body diameter
Total length of arrow
Takeoff weight
Takeoff thrust
Carrying capacity
propellant
3.35m
38m
400t
500t
5t
(SSO)
liquid oxygen kerosene
2. Huilong 2: Under development, four boosters are bundled, each booster is equipped with one Red Dragon 1 liquid oxygen and kerosene engine, and three Hong Dragon 1 liquid oxygen and kerosene engines are installed in the first stage.
Arrow body
diameter
take off
weight
carry
ability
take off
thrust
advance
agent
3.35m
560t
GTO 9t
LEO 25t
700t
liquid oxygen
kerosene
(2) Rocket engines: Xiaolong 1, Qiaolong 1, and Red Dragon 1
1. Xiaolong 1: Xiaolong 1 is a new 2-ton open cycle liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine that can be reused more than 10 times. Xiaolong 1 adopts self-developed staged combustion extraction cycle technology, which has the characteristics of high thrust-to-mass ratio, high combustion stability, simple system, and high inherent reliability. On March 31, 2022, Xiaolong 1 completed its first ignition test run. On June 6, 2024, Xiaolong 1 completed the full system test run of the engine in flight mode, laying the foundation for the development of the integrated multi-functional upper stage of the Tianhui spacecraft rocket.
(1) Basic information
fuel
oxidizing agent
fuel cycle method
combustion chamber
kerosene
liquid oxygen
staged combustion extraction cycle
1
(2) Product performance
vacuum thrust
Vacuum specific impulse
Thrust to weight ratio
25KN
325/s
160
2. Qiaolong One: Qiaolong One is a new engine developed by Tianhui Aerospace specifically for the commercial aerospace power market. The engine adopts an original staged combustion extraction cycle method and adopts an integrated structural fusion design. The gas generator is eliminated and the structure is greatly simplified. In August 2023, the Qiaolong No. 1 project was launched. In November of the same year, the turbine pump medium operation test was completed. On January 31, 2024, Qiaolong-1 completed the ignition test of the entire machine.
(1) Basic information
fuel
oxidizing agent
fuel cycle method
combustion chamber
kerosene
liquid oxygen
staged combustion extraction cycle
1
(2) Product performance
thrust
(sea level)
specific impulse
(sea level)
Thrust to weight ratio
85 tons
283 s
160
3. Red Dragon One: Red Dragon One is a 100-ton liquid oxygen-kerosene mixed-cycle rocket engine. It has the advantages of high reliability, safety, high specific impulse performance, high thrust-to-weight ratio, ultra-low cost, etc. It can be reused more than 20 times. On July 12, 2023, Red Dragon 1 completed its first semi-system hot test. In September of the same year, it completed the oxygen-enriched semi-system hot test.
(1) Basic information
fuel
oxidizing agent
fuel cycle method
combustion chamber
kerosene
liquid oxygen
Semi-open oxygen-rich afterburning mixing cycle
1
(2) Product performance
ground thrust
ground specific impulse
Thrust change
Push-to-mass ratio
Number of starts
Swing angle
1000KN
303/s
50~
105%
139
>3 times
±8° in both directions
5. Financing situation
In March 2021, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Liu Hongjun jointly founded Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. in the form of intellectual property investment.
In October 2021, Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. received angel round financing of 30 million yuan, and the investor was Shaanxi Aerospace Power Research Institute.
On February 28, 2024, Shaanxi Tianhui Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. completed Series A financing with a scale of over 100 million. Investors include Yingyuan Investment, Mianyang Kefa Fund, Changsha Kaifu District Zhongxin Hi-Tech Fund, Xi’an Fulao Fund, Xi’an Talent Fund and Sri New Materials, a company listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board.
Extended reading: Shaanxi Aerospace Power Research Institute is jointly established by 5 units including Northwestern Polytechnical University, China Aviation Development Xi’an Aero Engine Co., Ltd., China Aviation Development Xi’an Aerodynamic Control Technology Co., Ltd., China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Fourth Research Institute, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Sixth Research Institute, Shaanxi Aviation Industry Development Group and Xi’an City.
