What rocket is launching 9 satellites?

9 satellites is launching on the Kinetica 1.

Who is launching 9 satellites?

9 satellites is being launched by CAS Space, a commercial launch provider founded in 2018.

Where is 9 satellites launching from?

9 satellites is launching from Launch Area 130 at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.

What orbit is 9 satellites heading to?

9 satellites is heading to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

Is the Kinetica 1 reusable?

No — the Kinetica 1 is an expendable launch vehicle.

How many times has the Kinetica 1 flown?

The Kinetica 1 has launched 16 times to date, with 15 successful flights.

Back to Launches

9 satellites

Name: 9 satellites — Kinetica 1
Start: 2026-09-20T04:03:00Z
End: 2026-09-20T04:15:00Z
Location: Launch Area 130

Earth Science

Success

CAS Space(CAS)Commercial

Kinetica 1SSOorbit

Overview

Share-ride of 9 commercial Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites to SSO, details TBD.

Mission details

Orbital Attempt

#7,401

CAS Mission

#17

Pad Launch

#16

Location Launch

#298

Launch Window

NET

Sep 20, 2026, 4:03 AM

Precision

Minute

Schedule Changes

2 updates

Lift Off

3:54 AM

Window Open

4:15 AM

Window Close

Schedule Updates

2 entries

Current scheduleCurrentDelayed 3mSep 20, 2026, 4:32 AM
Sep 20, 2026, 4:03 AM(Minute)Success
Initial scheduleSep 16, 2026, 3:54 AM
Sep 20, 2026, 4:00 AM(Hour)Go

Launch photos

Photo gallery

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 130

Total Launches

Orbital Attempts

Fastest Turnaround

20d 23h

Wikipedia Map

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a Chinese spaceport located between the Ejin, Alxa, Inner Mongolia and Hangtian Town, Jinta County, Jiuquan, Gansu Province. It is part of the Dongfeng Aerospace City (Base 10).

Timezone

Asia/Shanghai

Local Launch Time

Sep 20, 2026, 12:03 PM

Total Launches

298

Total Landings

Coordinates

40.9581, 100.2911

View location page

Frequently asked questions

Kinetica 1 Specs

Kinetica 1 (also known as Lijian-1, Chinese: 力箭一号) is a Chinese solid-propellant light launch vehicle. It is capable of placing about 2 tons into low earth orbit and 1.5 tons into sun-synchronous orbit. It is developed by CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Kinetica 1 is a light launcher whose first stage seems to be derived from the DF-31 long-range intercontinental ballistic missile. It is 30 m high and has a diameter of 2.65 m, with a liftoff mass of 135 t. It's the largest Chinese solid propellant launcher to date, with four stages with a thrust of 200, 100, 50 and 10 tons respectively. The fairing has a diameter of 3.35 meters.

Length

30 m

Diameter

2.65 m

Launch Mass

135 t

Thrust

1,961 kN

Capacity

2,000 kg

Capacity

1,500 kg

Reusable

Maiden Flight

2022

Fastest Turnaround

20d 23h

Total Launches

Successful

Failed

Consecutive Success

Maiden flight: Jul 27, 2022

Info

CAS Space

CAS Space is a spin-off company from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) that is operating and plans to operate various launch vehicles of the Zhongke series.

Founded

2018

Total Launches

Successful

Failed

Pending

Consecutive Success

Wikipedia Website

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Schedule Updates

Photo gallery

Launch Area 130

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Frequently asked questions

What rocket is launching 9 satellites?

Who is launching 9 satellites?

Where is 9 satellites launching from?

What orbit is 9 satellites heading to?

Is the Kinetica 1 reusable?

How many times has the Kinetica 1 flown?

What is the 9 satellites mission?