🚀 Kinetica 1 | 🛰 Six satellites (including Taijing-3-04 and Taijing-4-02A)
Launch date: May 21, 2025 04:05 UTC
Payload: Six satellites (including Taijing-3-04 and Taijing-4-02A)
Location: Site 130, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China
Vehicle: Kinetica 1
On May 21, 2025 at 04:05 UTC, CAS Space returned its Kinetica 1 (Lijian-1) rocket to flight from Site 130 at Jiuquan after a previous failure in December. The mission launched six satellites, including two Earth observation satellites (Taijing-3-04 and Taijing-4-02A), featuring multispectral and sub-meter imaging capabilities. Other payload identities were not disclosed, and the mission trajectory is believed to be southwesterly. This marked the first Kinetica 1 flight of 2025 and the seventh mission of the rocket, as CAS Space continued its healthy launch cadence.
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Site 96, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China
Site 96 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is one of the dedicated launch pads operated by Landspace, a leading Chinese private aerospace company. This site serves as the primary launch facility for the ZhuQue-2E rocket, supporting China’s expanding capabilities in commercial spaceflight and satellite deployment.
Jiuquan is historically significant as China’s oldest and most utilized space launch facility, hosting both government and, more recently, private sector missions. Site 96 marks a milestone in the integration of private launch operations at a traditionally state-run spaceport, reflecting China’s efforts to foster commercial space industry growth. Notably, the ZhuQue-2E rocket launched from this site is part of China’s push toward advanced orbital access and reusable launch systems.