Published: 16:17, May 21, 2025
China's Kinetica 1-Y7 rocket deploys 6 satellites in space
By Zhao Lei
The Kinetica 1-Y7 rocket lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert, May 21, 2025. (ZHAO LEI / CHINA DAILY)

CAS Space, a Beijing-based rocket maker owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, launched a Kinetica 1 carrier rocket on Wednesday afternoon, successfully placing six satellites in their orbit.

The Kinetica 1-Y7 rocket lifted off at 12:05 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert, and deployed three remote-sensing satellites, a radar satellite, a mini weather satellite, and an experimental satellite in space, the company said in a news release.

The Kinetica 1-Y7 rocket lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert, May 21, 2025. (ZHAO LEI / CHINA DAILY)

These satellites will be used to gather data and images for urban construction planning, environmental monitoring, weather forecast and other civilian purposes.

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The "Y7" in the designation code signifies that it was the seventh in the rocket series. The launch marked the 31st space mission in China this year.

The Kinetica 1 type conducted its debut flight at the Jiuquan center in July 2022, making it the country's largest and most powerful solid-propellant rocket at the time. To date, it has carried out seven launches and deployed 63 satellites in space.

The Kinetica 1-Y7 rocket lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert, May 21, 2025. (ZHAO LEI / CHINA DAILY)

Formerly known as ZK 1A, the rocket model has a length of 30 meters, diameter of 2.65 meters, and a liftoff weight of 135 metric tons. It is capable of deploying satellites with a combined weight of 1.5 tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit about 500 kilometers above Earth.

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CAS Space has begun developing a new rocket, Kinetica 2, and plans to conduct its maiden flight in 2025.