Chinese Lijian-2 rocket launches new group of satellites

JIUQUAN, Nov 3, (Xinhua): China successfully launched a Lijian-2 Y2 carrier rocket from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China on Tuesday. Lifting off at 8:15 a.m. (Beijing Time), the rocket sent 18 satellites of the Spacesail Constellation into planned orbit, with these forming part of China's commercial low-orbit satellite network.

This successful launch marks the first time the Lijian-2 has carried out a large-scale satellite internet constellation deployment mission. The Lijian-2 is a liquid-fueled carrier rocket independently developed by CAS Space. It is China's first launch vehicle featuring a "universal booster core" configuration, with a payload capacity of 8 tonnes to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit and 12 tonnes to a 200-km low Earth orbit.

CAS Space said the mission was the second flight of the Lijian-2 rocket and the 18th launch of the Lijian series. The Lijian series has placed one spacecraft and 139 satellites into space, bringing the total in-orbit payload mass to over 27 tonnes and serving nearly 40 customers both at home and abroad.