China debuts modified solid rocket with remote sensing satellite launch

HELSINKI — A Chinese commercial launch firm launched its first upgraded Kuaizhou-1A rocket late Tuesday, adding to the country’s growing light-lift launch options.

The enhanced Kuaizhou-1A rocket lifted off at 11:46 p.m. Eastern, Dec. 3 (0546 UTC, Dec. 4) from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China. The solid rocket climbed rapidly into blue skies above the spaceport. Commercial space launch firm Expace announced launch success once it inserted its single satellite payload into its preset orbit. 

The payload was announced to be Haishao-1, also referred to as CAS Satellite-8. It is described as a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing satellite. Haishao-1 can perform on-board imaging and extract marine dynamic information, offering broad application prospects.

The upgraded Kuaizhou-1A appears to have extended first and second stages, and a payload fairing extended from 1.4 to 1.8 meters. Its payload capacity to low Earth orbit (LEO) is increased from 300 kilograms to 450 kg. Its sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) capacity to 700 km altitude is increased from 200 kg to over 300 kg. The rocket also appears have an inverted upper stage and payload.

The Kuaizhou-1A is operated by Expace, a commercial arm of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), a giant state-owned defense and space contractor. It also operates the larger Kuaizhou-11 solid rocket, with a 2.65-meter-diameter fairing and designed to launch up to 1,500 kg to LEO. Expace is also developing reusable methane-fueled launchers.

China has a range of active solid rockets. These are the Long March 11, Jielong-1 and Jielong-3 from CASC, the Hyperbola-1 from Ispace, Galactic Energy’s Ceres-1, Kinetica-1 from CAS Space, and the largest, Gravity-1, from Orienspace. The majority of these are light-lift solid launchers with similar payload capabilities, while some have launched from both land and sea.

The Kuaizhou-1A has flown the most, with 28 launches and two failures. This is followed by the Long March 11, with 17 successful launches, while the commercial Ceres-1 has flown 15 times with a single failure. 

The range of options suggests China’s desire to acquire quick response launch capabilities and cost-effective launch options, while also fostering a level of competition and backup options. The launchers have been developed amid a growing push to develop a Chinese commercial space sector since 2014.

The debut of the enhanced Kuaizhou-1A is part of a wider proliferation of Chinese launch vehicles. It follows the first launch of the medium-lift, kerosene-fueled Long March 12 Nov. 30, in a first test of rocket engines for a new crew moon rocket. Startup Landspace launched its first enhanced Zhuque-2 methane rocket Nov. 27. Further new Long March and commercial rockets are expected to debut in 2025.

The launch was China’s 61st orbital launch attempt of 2024, coming just a day after the launch of the TJS-13 satellite on a Long March 3B rocket, also from Xichang. Images from a China Central Television (CCTV) report later emerged to suggest the satellite is likely for early warning purposes.

The third batch of satellites for the Qianfan/Thousand Sails megaconstellation is expected to launch on a Long March 6A rocket late Dec. 5 Eastern (Dec. 6 UTC), following an apparent scrubbed launch attempt late Dec. 2.

A Long March 8 rocket could launch from the new commercial spaceport at Wenchang before the end of the year.