In a significant step forward for commercial aerospace, China successfully launched a Lijian-1 (also known as Kinetica-1) Y13 carrier rocket today, Friday, May 15, 2026. The mission, which took place at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, saw five satellites successfully placed into their preset orbits.
The rocket blasted off at 12:33 p.m., marking a precise execution of the flight plan. This mission represents the 13th flight of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket, further solidifying the reliability of the series in the competitive global space market.
Developed by CAS Space—a commercial spaceflight company established by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences—the Lijian-1 is specifically engineered to serve the growing small satellite launch market. By offering a flexible operational model, the rocket provides both dedicated launches for individual customers and "rideshare" missions, allowing multiple payloads to share a single journey into space.
This versatility is particularly attractive to business professionals and research institutions looking for cost-effective ways to deploy technology into orbit. As the commercial space sector on the Chinese mainland continues to evolve, milestones like the Y13 launch underscore the region's increasing capacity for high-frequency, efficient satellite deployment, fostering new opportunities for global connectivity and scientific exploration.
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China launches Lijian-1 rocket, sending 5 satellites into space
cgtn.com
