Chinese private rocket launches 1st satellite for international customer

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Chinese private rocket launches 1st satellite for international customer


Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space announced that it 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 rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on Sunday 11:03 pm Eastern time on Sunday, Nov. 10 (0403 GMT on Monday, Nov. 11; or 12:03 pm Beijing time on 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 environmental conditions. The satellite is also equipped with AI computing to conduct in-orbit data analyses. The launch marks the first time the Beijing-based private company has provided launch services to a customer outside of China, signaling its broader strategy to expand internationally despite challenges posed by export regulations and competition from SpaceX.

CAS Space successfully launched 15 satellites into Earth orbit, including one for its first foreign client, the Sultanate of Oman. (Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

“The successful launch heralds Oman’s official entry into the field of space technology,” Oman’s Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement. “It is the first in a constellation of satellites aimed at providing Oman with advanced Earth observation capabilities.”



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