Kinetica 1 rocket deploys nine satellites

CAS Space, a leading rocket manufacturer in China, launched a Kinetica 1 rocket on Sunday afternoon to deploy nine satellites for its clients, according to the commercial space company.

The rocket lifted off at 12:03 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, successfully deploying the satellites into space. This mission marks the 16th flight of the Kinetica 1.

To date, CAS Space has used its rockets to place 121 satellites and an experimental spacecraft into orbit, with a total weight exceeding 21 metric tons.

Among the satellites launched on Sunday, the PEGA-SUS1 is an integrated technology verification satellite jointly developed by GalaxySpace, Pengcheng Laboratory, and Southern University of Science and Technology. The satellite carries a 5G non-terrestrial network communication payload, a digital retinal on-orbit computing device, and a space-ground laser communication instrument.

Its core missions include in-orbit verifications of 5G NTN space-ground communication, on-board AI computing, and high-speed space-ground laser communication. The satellite will enable engineers to demonstrate technologies of autonomous on-board data processing, multi-task collaboration, and high-speed space-ground and inter-satellite networking, laying a solid technological foundation for subsequent 6G communication network development.

CAS Space reported a full launch schedule for the Kinetica 1 rocket, with orders extending through the second half of 2027. The company also announced that Kinetica 1's first sea launch is imminent, tasked with transporting three satellites.

The Kinetica 1 model measures 30 meters in length, with a diameter of 2.65 meters and a liftoff weight of 135 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.