LinkSpace
LinkSpace is a Chinese private aerospace company developing reusable launch vehicles, suborbital rockets, and related rocket transportation services.
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
LinkSpace, also known by its Chinese name Lingke Aerospace and the corporate name Link Space Aerospace Technology Inc., is a Chinese private space-launch company headquartered in Beijing and registered in Shenzhen. The company is associated with the emergence of China’s commercial launch sector and describes itself as one of the country’s earliest privately founded rocket companies. It was established in 2014 by Hu Zhenyu, Yan Chengyi, and Wu Xiaofei. Hu, who studied at South China University of Technology, has served as the company’s chief executive; Yan is associated with Tsinghua University, while Wu brought manufacturing experience to the founding team. Before the company’s formal registration, Hu’s team was testing the KC-SA-TOP suborbital rocket in Inner Mongolia. The early work focused on small launch vehicles and suborbital systems capable of carrying payloads of approximately 50 kilograms. LinkSpace subsequently made reusable launch technology its central technical theme, developing vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing prototypes and experimenting with liquid-propellant propulsion, thrust vectoring, controlled hovering, and autonomous landing. The company reported an important early technical step by July 2016, when a single-engine thrust-vectored rocket prototype achieved hover flight. By September 2017, it had constructed three hovering rockets and conducted tests in Shandong Province. These experiments led to the RLV-T5 prototype, also called NewLine Baby. On 19 April 2019, the five-engine vehicle rose to approximately 40 metres and landed safely after a flight lasting about 30 seconds. LinkSpace later reported a test flight reaching 300 metres on 10 August 2019. A further prototype, designated RLV-T6, underwent a static-fire test announced in May 2022 as preparation for a planned high-altitude flight from Lenghu in Qinghai Province. The schedule for that flight was subsequently expected to move to no earlier than mid-2023, and the supplied reference material does not establish whether it occurred. LinkSpace’s planned orbital vehicle is New Line 1, also written Xin Gan Xian 1. It is designed as a two-stage liquid-fuelled rocket for microsatellite and nanosatellite launches, with a reusable first stage. Published specifications describe a vehicle approximately 20 metres tall and 1.8 metres in diameter, with a projected lift-off mass of 33 tonnes and four kerosene-and-liquid-oxygen engines on the first stage. The stated target is delivery of payloads of up to 200 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. The company has also discussed later vehicles, such as New Line 3, that could incorporate a reusable second stage. Beyond orbital launch, LinkSpace has outlined a broader aerospace-services model. Potential activities include supplying rocket components, providing launch services for orbital and suborbital payloads, and developing point-to-point transportation using rocket technology. This concept would extend the company’s business beyond conventional satellite launch, although the available reference material does not show that such transportation services have entered commercial operation. LinkSpace operates in a competitive Chinese commercial-space environment that includes LandSpace, Galactic Energy, ExPace, i-Space, OneSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace. Its differentiation is principally associated with reusable rockets, vertical landing, and proposed rapid point-to-point transportation. The company’s current operating status, commercial launch record, ownership structure, financial position, and whether its planned orbital vehicles have reached operational service are not established by the supplied sources.
History
LinkSpace emerged from a Chinese private-sector rocket team led by Hu Zhenyu. In 2013, before the company was formally registered, the team tested the KC-SA-TOP suborbital rocket in Inner Mongolia. The project was intended to support small payloads and provided an early foundation for later work on launch vehicles and reusable propulsion systems. The company was founded in 2014 by Hu Zhenyu, Yan Chengyi, and Wu Xiaofei. It was based in Beijing and registered in Shenzhen. The founders combined aerospace, university, and manufacturing experience, and Hu became the company’s chief executive. LinkSpace was formed during the early expansion of China’s commercial-space sector, when privately funded companies began pursuing launch vehicles alongside established state-linked aerospace organizations. Reusable rocketry became LinkSpace’s principal technical focus. By July 2016, the company had achieved hover flight with a single-engine, thrust-vectored rocket. By September 2017, it had produced three hovering prototypes and was testing them in Shandong. These vehicles were intended to validate the control systems, propulsion, flight stability, and landing techniques required for a recoverable first stage. The next major prototype was RLV-T5, known as NewLine Baby. The vehicle was approximately 8.1 metres long, weighed about 1.5 tonnes, and used five liquid engines. On 19 April 2019, it performed a vertical flight to around 40 metres and returned safely after approximately 30 seconds. On 10 August of the same year, LinkSpace reported another test reaching 300 metres. These tests were significant demonstrations of vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing technology, but they were prototype flights rather than orbital launches. LinkSpace also developed the RLV-T6 test vehicle. In May 2022, the company announced that it had completed a static-fire test as preparation for a planned flight to an altitude of 100 kilometres. The proposed launch site was Lenghu in Qinghai Province. The schedule was later expected to slip from late 2022 to no earlier than mid-2023. The supplied sources do not confirm the subsequent launch or establish that the vehicle became operational. The company’s principal planned orbital rocket is New Line 1, or Xin Gan Xian 1. It is described as a two-stage, liquid-fuelled launcher for microsatellites and nanosatellites. The first stage is intended to be reusable. Published design parameters include a height of approximately 20 metres, a diameter of 1.8 metres, a lift-off mass of about 33 tonnes, and four kerosene-and-liquid-oxygen engines producing roughly 400 kilonewtons of combined thrust. The projected payload capacity is 200 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. LinkSpace has also discussed future vehicles, including New Line 3, with the possibility of a reusable second stage. LinkSpace’s proposed business scope extends beyond launch hardware. The company has described possible services involving rocket components, orbital and suborbital payload transportation, and point-to-point travel between locations on Earth using rocket vehicles. The reference material presents these as plans rather than established commercial services. The company competes with Chinese commercial-space ventures such as LandSpace, Galactic Energy, ExPace, i-Space, OneSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace. LinkSpace’s identity is tied to reusable launch technology and experimental vertical landing. Its present corporate status, funding, operational launch record, ownership, and commercialization progress remain unclear from the supplied reference material.
- 2022
RLV-T6 static-fire test
[1]The company announced a static-fire test of the RLV-T6 vehicle before a proposed 100-kilometre-altitude flight.
- 2019
RLV-T5 lands after a 40-metre flight
[1]The five-engine RLV-T5 prototype completed a vertical flight to approximately 40 metres and landed safely.
- 2019
Prototype reaches 300 metres
[1]LinkSpace reported a reusable-rocket test reaching approximately 300 metres.
- 2017
Multiple hovering prototypes tested
[1]The company had built three hovering rockets and tested them in Shandong Province.
- 2016
First reported hover capability
[1]A single-engine, thrust-vectored prototype achieved hover flight.
- 2014
Company founded
[1]LinkSpace was founded by Hu Zhenyu, Yan Chengyi, and Wu Xiaofei as a Chinese private rocket company.
- 2013
Pre-incorporation suborbital testing
[1]Hu Zhenyu’s team tested the KC-SA-TOP suborbital rocket in Inner Mongolia before LinkSpace was formally registered.
Products and positioning
A Chinese commercial-space developer positioned around reusable launch vehicles, vertical landing, small-payload orbital access, and future rocket-based point-to-point transportation.
Suborbital rocket · 2013
KC-SA-TOP
An early suborbital rocket tested by the founding team before LinkSpace’s formal incorporation. The available reference describes it as supporting payloads of approximately 50 kilograms during tests in Inner Mongolia.
Reusable VTVL test rocket · 2019
RLV-T5 (NewLine Baby)
A reusable vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing prototype approximately 8.1 metres long and powered by five liquid engines. It demonstrated a flight to roughly 40 metres followed by a controlled landing in April 2019 and was later associated with a test reaching approximately 300 metres.
Reusable rocket test vehicle · 2022
RLV-T6
A later test vehicle intended to support LinkSpace’s reusable-launch development. The company announced a static-fire test in 2022 in preparation for a proposed flight to approximately 100 kilometres altitude.
Orbital launch vehicle
New Line 1
A planned two-stage liquid-fuelled rocket for microsatellite and nanosatellite missions. Its proposed reusable first stage uses four kerosene-and-liquid-oxygen engines, and the vehicle is designed for payloads of up to 200 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit.
Future reusable launch vehicle
New Line 3
A future vehicle concept associated with the possible development of a reusable second stage. The supplied reference does not provide a confirmed design, launch date, or operational status.
Brand decisions
2019
RLV-T5 flight demonstrationProduct launchBackground
LinkSpace was developing reusable rocket technology and needed flight data on controlled ascent, hovering, and landing.
Action taken
The company flew the RLV-T5 prototype to approximately 40 metres and landed it safely, later reporting a test reaching 300 metres.
Aftermath
The demonstrations provided public evidence of prototype vertical-flight capability; they did not constitute an orbital launch.
2014
Focus on privately developed reusable launch systemsStrategyBackground
LinkSpace was established during the growth of China’s commercial-space sector, with reusable rockets as a central technical objective.
Action taken
The company pursued vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing prototypes before attempting a planned orbital launcher.
Aftermath
The strategy led to a series of hover and landing tests, including the RLV-T5 demonstration, but the supplied sources do not confirm operational orbital service.
Recent events
- 2022
RLV-T6 static-fire test announced[1]
Product generation
LinkSpace announced a static-fire test of the RLV-T6 vehicle while preparing for a proposed 100-kilometre-altitude flight from Lenghu, Qinghai.
- 2019
LinkSpace reports RLV-T5 vertical flight and landing[1]
Product generation
The RLV-T5, also called NewLine Baby, rose approximately 40 metres and landed safely after a roughly 30-second flight.
- 2019
LinkSpace reports a 300-metre test flight[1]
Product generation
The company reported that a reusable-rocket prototype test reached approximately 300 metres.
- 2016
LinkSpace achieves hover flight with a thrust-vectored prototype[1]
Product generation
The company reported that a single-engine rocket prototype had achieved controlled hover flight, an early step in its reusable-launch program.
- 2013
LinkSpace conducts early KC-SA-TOP suborbital rocket testing[1]
Product generation
Before formal incorporation, the founding team tested the KC-SA-TOP suborbital rocket in Inner Mongolia with payloads of approximately 50 kilograms.
Sources1 sources
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