In a significant milestone for China's burgeoning commercial space sector, CAS Space has successfully launched five satellites into orbit using its Lijian-1 (Kinetica-1) rocket. This achievement marks a pivotal step towards the company's ambitious goal of conducting approximately one launch per month.
Shi Xiaoning, the chief designer of the commercial carrier rocket, expressed optimism about the future of CAS Space's launch schedule. \"Starting from this mission, we aim to achieve approximately one launch per month,\" Shi told CGTN.
The recent launch took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, placing the satellites into preset dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbits. Among the five satellites are two pioneers for the company's AIRSAT constellation, a Jilin-1 SAR01A, and the Yunyao-1 21 and 22 satellites.
These satellites are primarily designed for land surveys and meteorological observations, among other applications. The successful deployment of these satellites not only enhances China's capabilities in Earth observation but also positions CAS Space as a competitive player in the global commercial space market.
Reference(s):
China's commercial rocket sends 5 satellites, eyes monthly launch
cgtn.com
