The space industry is gearing up for longer-duration missions to the Moon and beyond, and that requires new types of propulsion systems with higher efficiency and more thrust. That’s why rocket companies are rushing to test new combustion technologies that may be more capable of getting the job done. China’s Mega Engine recently put its Chi engine to the test, firing up the closed-cycle kerosene-liquid oxygen propulsion system for a total of 1,000 seconds across multiple tests. The long-duration hot fire test was a success, with Chi demonstrating rapid startup and stable operation while its hardware remained intact, the company announced on Monday. Mega engine keep logging hours to their 80t level RP-1 closed cycle engine 炽/Chi. They don't blur the engine body this time. The engine looks slim, wonder how the company is related to the Space Circling. via https://t.co/mY9e26iY6S https://t.co/AmXnhsJEGR pic.twitter.com/XcIMn1LdRh — Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) May 26, 2026 Blazing glory Mega Engine began operations in early 2024. The company’s flagship propulsion system, the Chi (blazing) engine, is designed to produce between 35 and 75 tons of thrust at sea level and about 87 tons in the vacuum of space. The closed-cycle engine burns kerosene as the fuel while using liquid oxygen as the oxidizer.