LegendSpace Secures $29.5M to Accelerate Propulsion via AI

HYPER-VELOCITY DEVELOPMENT

LegendSpace, a Beijing-based propulsion startup, has closed a 200 million yuan ($29.5 million) angel round to digitize the physical constraints of rocket science. According to SpaceNews, the six-month-old firm—formally Linjie Hangtian—secured the capital from a consortium including Vitalbridge and Shangshi Capital.

The objective is the deployment of "Prime," an AI-native research platform developed alongside the Beijing Institute for AI for Science (AISI). By integrating generative design, multiphysics simulations, and additive manufacturing into a closed loop, LegendSpace claims it can compress traditional multi-year engine development cycles into approximately 14 days.

TECHNICAL VALIDATION

The startup utilizes DeepFlame, a GPU-native simulation code, to model complex reacting flows. LegendSpace has already reported a successful validation loop, covering components such as injectors and thermal load simulations for hot-fire states. Currently, a 2.5-ton-thrust liquid engine is in 3D-printed trial production.

Proceeds from the angel round are earmarked for:
Ground testing and verification of multiple liquid engines.
Iterative upgrades to the Prime platform’s simulation fidelity.
* Expansion of industrial production pipelines and static fire test facilities.

MARKET CONTEXT

Founded by Professor Chen Zhi, a combustion expert with experience at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and DLR, LegendSpace enters an increasingly crowded Chinese commercial sector. While the firm draws comparisons to SpaceX’s use of AI for its Raptor engines, it must compete with established domestic players like Landspace and Jiuzhou Yunjian. This influx of capital signals a strategic shift in the East, prioritizing software-defined aerospace manufacturing to bypass traditional industrial bottlenecks.