CAS Space

Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1)

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Four-stage solid-propellant small/medium-lift launch vehicle developed by a team with Long March 11 heritage - one of China's most-flown commercial rockets.

CAS Space profileSource: cas-space.com

Latest update Oct 5, 2026

Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1)

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Current status

Operational from Jiuquan and Dongfeng since 2022 with 16 launches and 15 successes (one December 2024 failure). Y18 flew nine satellites from Dongfeng at 12:03 Beijing time on 20 September 2026. Y17 completed a first sea-launch shipboard rehearsal on 25 August 2026 and remained unflown as of 5 October 2026; the Y18 mission article still described that three-satellite maritime flight as about to depart.

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Specifications8

Payload to LEO
2,000 kg
Payload to SSO
1,500 kg (500 km)
Height
30 m
Diameter
2.65 m
Liftoff Mass
135 t
Propellant
Solid (4 stages)
Launch Record
16 launches, 15 successes

last flight Y18, 20 September 2026

First Flight
Jul 27, 2022 (success)

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Upcoming milestones2

All CAS Space milestones

Announced next steps from CAS Space that mention Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1).

  1. 2026

    Hit monthly Kinetica-1 cadence, begin sea launches, and clear final STAR Market IPO registration

    The July 24, 2026 monthly Kinetica-1 cadence commitment for the second half of 2026 has missed its August slot and, as of September 20, 2026, its September slot as well. Y17 completed a first sea-launch shipboard rehearsal on August 25 and remains in countdown for a three-satellite mission from waters near Guangdong; Y18 passed factory review July 31 for a nine-satellite Dongfeng land flight and is also unflown. Company news through September 17 covers a space-medicine partnership rather than a launch, and the homepage still lists 15 successful flights. A second sea launch is still described as targeting October. On the IPO, CAS Space's $607M STAR Market application still has no CSRC registration, pricing, or trading date as of September 20, 2026.

    cas-space.com

  2. 2026

    Launch the Yixian-B stem-cell experiment satellite on Kinetica-1

    TargetLate 2026 to early 2027

    CAS Space and Zhongshan Third Hospital are building Yixian-B, a dedicated biomedical test satellite with a lab-on-chip stem-cell culture and observation payload. The company said on September 17, 2026 that development is accelerating and that the satellite will fly on Kinetica-1; 21st Century Business Herald reported the in-orbit verification window as late 2026 to early 2027. It is the first step in a cell, animal, then crewed-life-support space-medicine path, ahead of Lihong-3 in 2028.

    21jingji.com

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In the news2

All CAS Space news

  1. CAS Space flies 15th Kinetica-1, commits to monthly launches

    CAS Space launched its solid-fueled Kinetica-1 rocket on its 15th mission on July 24 from Jiuquan, placing five satellites into sun-synchronous orbit in what was China's 53rd orbital launch of the year. Alongside the flight the company committed to a monthly Kinetica-1 launch cadence for the second half of 2026, roughly double its historical rate of under four flights a year since the rocket's 2022 debut. Payloads included a demonstrator aimed at thermal-dissipation and power systems for future space-based data centers.

    China Daily Tech Times

  2. CAS Space's Kinetica-1 becomes first Chinese commercial rocket past 100 satellites

    CAS Space launched its Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) Y14 solid rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone on June 15, placing eight rideshare satellites into orbit on the vehicle's 14th flight and third mission of 2026. The success lifted Kinetica-1's cumulative tally to 105 satellites and more than 15 tonnes delivered, making it the first Chinese commercial launch vehicle to loft over 100 spacecraft. The milestone lands as CAS Space pursues an IPO amid a national push toward roughly 140 orbital launches this year.

    Global Times China in Space

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