China launches Centispace-1-s1 satellite

JIUQUAN -- China launched its Centispace-1-s1 satellite on a Kuaizhou-1A rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China at 12:13 pm Saturday.

This is the second commercial launch by the Kuaizhou-1A rocket. The first launch in January 2017 sent three satellites into space.

The Kuaizhou-1A was developed by a rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). It is a low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket with high reliability and a short preparation period, designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kg.

The Centispace-1-s1 was developed by Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is a technology experiment satellite for the low-orbit navigation enhancement system being developed by Beijing Future Navigation Technology Co Ltd.