With "technological innovation, extreme cost-efficiency, and full-chain autonomy" as core competitiveness, we are reshaping the landscape of small and medium-sized commercial space launches.
In May 2026, Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天), the world's first company developing recoverable and reusable small-to-medium launch vehicles using an electric-pump-cycle solution, recently completed its angel round of financing.
This round of financing was led by CMBC International (民银国际), with Zhejiang Century Huatong Group Co., Ltd. (世纪华通), Songhe Innovation (松禾创新), and Beidou Group (北斗集团) jointly participating. The financing amount was tens of millions of RMB. I&R Capital (一苇资本) continued to serve as the exclusive financial advisor to Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天).
This round of funding will be primarily used for the iteration of core engine technology, rocket product R&D, full-chain capacity building, and market ecosystem expansion, accelerating the commercialization of small and medium-sized reusable rockets and filling gaps in the global aerospace market.
Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) was established in July 2025, focusing on the dedicated launch sector for small and medium-sized satellites in near-polar orbit, low-inclination orbit, and sun-synchronous orbit. The company aims to address the three core pain points of the industry: long rideshare cycles, difficulty in covering special orbits, and high launch costs. With “technological innovation, extreme cost-efficiency, and full-chain autonomy” as its core competitiveness, the company aims to reshape the landscape of small and medium-sized commercial aerospace launches.
Technological First: The world’s first electric-pump-cycle liquid oxygen-methane engine breaks international technical barriers
Currently, the global supply of small and medium-sized rockets is severely insufficient. International companies such as Rocket Lab use expendable electric-pump rocket solutions, with costs as high as RMB 180,000–200,000 per kilogram. Most domestic private rockets are non-recoverable, making it difficult for their production capacity and cost-effectiveness to match the explosive demand for low-orbit constellations.
Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) has blazed a new trail, locking in the optimal technical route of electric-pump-cycle and liquid oxygen-methane propulsion. The company is building the world’s first TRON-001 Hantian engine designed specifically for small and medium-sized reusable rockets. The engine will serve as the core power system for Fission Type-A (裂变号A型), the world’s first recoverable small-to-medium-sized rocket. Its core parameters have entered the first tier of global small liquid-propellant engines.
The TRON-001 engine has a sea-level thrust of 3.2 tons and a vacuum thrust of 3.7 tons, with a maximum specific impulse of 345 seconds. Its thrust adjustment range covers 18%–105%, perfectly adapting to the deep-throttling needs of the rocket ascent phase and recovery landing phase. Unlike traditional turbopump solutions, the electric-pump-cycle architecture is extremely simple and has significant lightweight advantages, while the cost of reuse and maintenance is extremely low. Liquid oxygen-methane fuel is widely available and inexpensive. Combined with the common-bulkhead tank design, it further simplifies the rocket body structure, providing inherent technical support for reusability.
By the end of January 2026, TRON-001 had successfully completed its first full-system hot-fire test, marking Z-TRAK SPACE’s achievement of a closed loop in the independent R&D of liquid oxygen-methane engines. The 100% full-system hot-fire test is steadily progressing.
Relying on its general-purpose recovery algorithm verification platform to help achieve recoverability and reusability, Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) has built a “Fission + Fusion” product matrix. Fission Type-A, as the world’s first small-to-medium-sized rocket with a reusable first stage, stands 24 meters tall with a diameter of 1.6 meters. It has a LEO payload capacity of 450 kg and an SSO payload capacity of 300 kg. In the recovery state, the unit payload cost is only one quarter of the industry average. Fission Type-B adopts gas-generator-cycle engines to provide diversified solutions for payloads under the ton level. The planned Fusion rocket (聚变号), an 80–100-ton-class super-heavy reusable rocket, will be equipped with a 180-ton-class full-flow staged-combustion engine. It is expected to complete the core engine hot-fire test in 2029, achieving high-frequency and low-cost large-scale launch services.
Ultimate Advantage: Triple barriers of cost, resources, and production capacity build irreplaceable core competitiveness
Cost-disruptive leadership and cost-performance advantages over the industry. Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) has achieved a precipitous drop in costs through technological innovation, with the engine prototype costing only 10% of the industry average. By using additive manufacturing technology, the production cycle for key components has been shortened by 70%, and the per-person efficiency of its flat team is four times that of traditional aerospace engineers, creating a “low-cost, high-efficiency, highly reusable” R&D and production system. Compared with international competitors, its unit payload cost is only half that of Rocket Lab’s Electron, offering a significant advantage in unit payload cost and perfectly matching the strong demand for high-frequency, low-cost launches of small and medium-sized satellites.
Full-chain independence and controllability, with a closed loop for R&D, production, and testing. Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) strategically selected Zhuzhou, Hunan, as the site to build a full-cycle closed-loop base integrating an R&D center, production workshops, and engine test stands, achieving independent and controllable capabilities across the entire rocket design, production, assembly, and testing processes. With core components developed and produced in-house, the company has eliminated reliance on external suppliers, significantly improving quality-control consistency and delivery efficiency. The precision machining of a single thrust chamber can be completed within one day, laying a solid foundation for subsequent rapid iteration and mass production.
Commercial Implementation: Order lock-in and ecosystem synergy accelerate the company toward a new stage of commercialization
With precise positioning in the sector and strong technical capabilities, Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) has gained high recognition from the market. It has secured intended launch orders for 26 satellites, covering core scenarios such as near-polar orbit, low-inclination orbit, and sun-synchronous orbit. Its customers include leading satellite enterprises such as Spark-X / Xinghuo Chuanming (星火传明), Hunan Sedret Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. (赛德雷特), and AmpLord, and the launch schedule is already booked through 2037.
At the team level, Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) brings together top talents in the aerospace field. The core team is composed of senior technical experts and young talents in the aerospace industry. The founder, Zhang Zihan (张子瀚), was born in 2003. With both an aerospace engineering background and R&D management experience, he led the team to break through the multi-condition control bottleneck of the liquid oxygen-methane engine in six months and complete the entire process from engine design to cold testing in eight months, demonstrating strong technical problem-solving and efficient execution capabilities.
Looking ahead, Z-TRAK SPACE (执宇航天) will continue to deeply cultivate the small and medium-sized reusable rocket sector, complete the low-altitude VTVL test flight of a scaled-down test rocket in 2027, and achieve the official orbital maiden flight of Fission (裂变号) in 2028–2029, while simultaneously advancing the core technology R&D of Fusion (聚变号). In the future, with “driven by technological innovation, empowered by cost advantages, and win-win through ecological synergy” as its core, the company will continuously improve its product matrix and service system to help the scale-up and international development of China’s commercial aerospace industry.