THE NEW SPACE RACE: China just test-fired a massive solid-fueled rocket motor.

The rocket motor was ignited Tuesday (Oct. 19) at a site near Xi’an city in north China, firing for 115 seconds, creating a tremendous trail of flame and exhaust.

The new motor was developed by the Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology (AASPT) which belongs to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s main space contractor.

The motor has a diameter of 11.48 foot (3.5 meters)1 and a maximum thrust of 1,00,000 pounds-force (500 tons) is powered by 330,000 pounds (150 tons) of solid fuel. A CASC statement said it is the most powerful solid rocket motor with the largest thrust in the world so far.

Chinese engineering has moved from “cheap imitations” to “fast followers” to “innovators” with almost startling speed.