Expace – Spaceflight Now

Chinese smallsat launcher fails

September 12, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese small satellite launcher failed after liftoff Saturday, destroying a commercial Earth-imaging payload before it could enter orbit.

New Chinese satellite launcher fails on first flight

July 10, 2020 Stephen Clark

The first flight of the new Chinese Kuaizhou 11 solid-fueled rocket failed to place two small satellites into orbit Friday, and Chinese state media said the cause of the malfunction is under investigation.

First two smallsats launched for Chinese data relay constellation

May 12, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket launched Tuesday with the first two spacecraft for China’s planned 80-satellite Xingyun communications and data relay constellation.

Kuaizhou 1A rocket lofts Chinese broadband test satellite

January 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A solid-fueled Kuaizhou 1A launcher carried a commercial broadband communications satellite into orbit Thursday for Galaxy Space, a Chinese company that says it plans to launch up to 144 spacecraft for a space-based 5G network in the next few years.

China launches two Kuaizhou rockets in six hours

December 7, 2019 Stephen Clark

Two solid-fueled Kuaizhou 1A rockets fired into orbit from the same spaceport in northern China Saturday, demonstrating a further advance in China’s aim for a quick-response, on-call satellite launch capability.

China’s Kuaizhou launcher flies for second time in four days

November 19, 2019 Stephen Clark

Demonstrating a quick turnaround launch capability, China launched a light-class, solid-fueled Kuaizhou 1A rocket Sunday, four days after the same type of satellite booster fired into orbit from the same launch pad.

Two Chinese satellite launchers lift off three hours apart

November 13, 2019 Stephen Clark

Chinese rockets performed two satellite delivery missions in a three-hour span Wednesday, carrying a commercial Earth-imaging satellite and five mysterious surveillance payloads into orbit.

Two satellites launch aboard Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket

September 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

Two experimental Chinese satellites have launched on a Kuaizhou 1A rocket from the Jiuquan space base in northwestern China.

Chinese solid-fueled launcher puts smallsat in orbit

October 1, 2018 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket launched Saturday under the auspices of the commercial launch provider Exspace and successfully deployed a tech demo satellite into orbit, state media reported.

Kuaizhou rocket lifts off on first commercial mission

January 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

A solid-fueled Chinese Kuaizhou launcher positioned to compete for worldwide business took off Monday on its first commercial mission with three small satellites to collect high-definition video and test communications technologies.