China's private rocket company launches five satellites, aims for monthly launches
The Chinese commercial carrier rocket Lijian-1 (also known as Kinetica-1) Y4 successfully launched five satellites into their designated dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbits on Wednesday.
TroibNews 
With the goal of achieving nearly one launch per month, CAS Space, a commercial space company, is making strides in its mission, as noted by Shi Xiaoning, the chief designer of a commercial carrier rocket, who stated, "Starting from this mission, we aim to achieve approximately one launch per month."
The company, known for developing the Lijian-1 rocket, successfully launched five satellites into designated dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbits from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Wednesday.
These satellites include two trailblazers for the company’s AIRSAT satellite constellation, alongside the Jilin-1 SAR01A, and Yunyao-1 21 and 22. They are primarily intended for applications in land surveys, meteorological observations, and various other fields.
The Lijian-1 carrier rocket was showcased at the launch pad on September 25, 2024. This marks the fourth launch of this rocket type but is notable for being the first to reach a dawn-dusk orbit, which provides improved coverage of the Earth's surface and is particularly advantageous for land observation.
This launch also signals the commencement of CAS Space's aggressive launch schedule. Shi indicated that the company plans to conduct about three more launches this year, with expectations for eight to ten or more launches in the upcoming year.
In addition, CAS Space is working on the Lijian-2, which employs liquid oxygen and methane as propellants. This rocket is anticipated to offer a cost-effective solution for the burgeoning high-density launch market, particularly for satellite internet constellations expected to be established around 2028 in China.
China's ambitious plan includes constructing three low-Earth orbit satellite constellations, each with at least 10,000 satellites. These systems will require dependable and swift launch services at minimal costs, presenting opportunities for commercial entities in the Chinese space sector.
The initial batch of satellites was launched in August, consisting of 18 satellites aimed at establishing the "Thousand Sails Constellation," also known as "G60 Starlink," which is China’s equivalent of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet constellation.
Since the inaugural launch of the Lijian-1 in July 2022, the rocket has successfully deployed a total of 42 satellites into their designated orbits, accumulating over 4 tonnes in total payload mass.
Read more:
China launches commercial carrier rocket Lijian-1 Y3
China launches record 26 satellites atop single rocket
Video production and editor: Ding Zhiyang
Producer: Cao Qingqing
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
The company, known for developing the Lijian-1 rocket, successfully launched five satellites into designated dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbits from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Wednesday.
These satellites include two trailblazers for the company’s AIRSAT satellite constellation, alongside the Jilin-1 SAR01A, and Yunyao-1 21 and 22. They are primarily intended for applications in land surveys, meteorological observations, and various other fields.
The Lijian-1 carrier rocket was showcased at the launch pad on September 25, 2024. This marks the fourth launch of this rocket type but is notable for being the first to reach a dawn-dusk orbit, which provides improved coverage of the Earth's surface and is particularly advantageous for land observation.
This launch also signals the commencement of CAS Space's aggressive launch schedule. Shi indicated that the company plans to conduct about three more launches this year, with expectations for eight to ten or more launches in the upcoming year.
In addition, CAS Space is working on the Lijian-2, which employs liquid oxygen and methane as propellants. This rocket is anticipated to offer a cost-effective solution for the burgeoning high-density launch market, particularly for satellite internet constellations expected to be established around 2028 in China.
China's ambitious plan includes constructing three low-Earth orbit satellite constellations, each with at least 10,000 satellites. These systems will require dependable and swift launch services at minimal costs, presenting opportunities for commercial entities in the Chinese space sector.
The initial batch of satellites was launched in August, consisting of 18 satellites aimed at establishing the "Thousand Sails Constellation," also known as "G60 Starlink," which is China’s equivalent of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet constellation.
Since the inaugural launch of the Lijian-1 in July 2022, the rocket has successfully deployed a total of 42 satellites into their designated orbits, accumulating over 4 tonnes in total payload mass.
Read more:
China launches commercial carrier rocket Lijian-1 Y3
China launches record 26 satellites atop single rocket
Video production and editor: Ding Zhiyang
Producer: Cao Qingqing
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
