aecifo

Private Chinese rocket launches first satellite for international client

Umito November 13, 2024

Chinese commercial space company CAS Space announced that it had successfully launched 15 satellites into Earth orbit, including one for the Sultanate of Oman.

CAS Space’s Kinetica-1 (also known as Lijian-1) solid-state rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 11:03 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, November 10 (04:03 GMT Monday, November 11). ; or 12:03 p.m. Beijing time, Monday).

On board was a remote sensing satellite named OL-1, developed in part by Oman Lens, an Omani startup that plans to use high-resolution satellite images to map the country’s land and monitor forest cover and other conditions environmental. The satellite is also equipped with an AI computing system to perform data analysis in orbit. The launch marks the first time The private Beijing-based company provided launch services to a client outside China, signaling its broader strategy to expand internationally despite challenges posed by export regulations and competition from SpaceX.

a small black dot in the middle upper right is surrounded by a glowing swirl of orange and yellow gas, with blue jets shooting out perpendicular to the swirl. — CAS Space has successfully launched 15 satellites into Earth orbit, including one for its first foreign customer, the Sultanate of Oman. (Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

“This successful launch announces Oman’s official entry into the field of space technology,” wrote Oman’s foreign ministry in a statement. “This is the first in a constellation of satellites aimed at providing Oman with advanced Earth observation capabilities.”

A 5/5 record for Kinetica-1! Among the mission’s passengers is an Omani remote sensing satellite IRSS-1/OL-1. This marks the first step for CAS Space to provide services to international clients. We believe the space age is global and no one should be left behind.November 11, 2024

Other satellites The launches on Sunday include China’s first commercial methane source detection satellites developed by Xi’an Zhongke Xiguang Aerospace Technology and several Chinese remote sensing satellites equipped with cameras to collect weather data, according to local media.

Also on board were two Jilin-1s launched for Changguang Satellite Technology (CGST), CAS Space’s main customer which aims to build a Earth observation constellation by 2027 and currently has 117 satellites in orbit, SpaceNews reported.

“The payloads of this mission are primarily intended for urban planning, agriculture and weather monitoring,” CAS Space wrote in a statement. post on.

Unsurprisingly, there is no information regarding the two Shiyan satellites that were also launched on Sunday. Shiyan, whose name translates to “experiment,” refers to a classified series of Chinese experimental satellites. Over the past two decades, China has launched at least 36 Shiyan satellites, likely designed to test new technologies and payloads.

Due to geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) largely restricts CAS Space’s access to the US and European markets, complicating the company’s efforts to offer launch services to the global market and compete EspaceX.

In recent months, CAS Space has been test components of a new reusable rocket called Kinetica-2 or Lijian-2. Starting next year, the company aims to use the rocket as the main launch vehicle to deploy satellites into orbit and deliver cargo to the country. Tiangong Space Station.

“I hope that very soon, in the next launches, we will have some payloads from other countries,” said Liu Weipeng, head of international marketing of CAS Space. recently told SpaceNews.