Kinetica 1 Launches 8 Jilin-1 Satellites — 14 April 2026 Recap

What happened?

CAS Space's Kinetica 1 rocket successfully launched 8 Jilin-1 Earth-observation satellites from Launch Area 130 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the People's Republic of China on 14 April 2026 at 04:03 UTC. The mission was declared a success, delivering its payload cluster into orbit as planned.

Kinetica 1 (also known as Lijian-1) is a four-stage solid-fueled small-to-medium launch vehicle developed by CAS Space, a commercial spin-off of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Standing roughly 30 meters tall and capable of lifting around 1,500 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, it is one of China's most powerful commercial solid rockets.

What was the payload?

The rocket carried 8 satellites belonging to the Jilin-1 constellation, the world's largest commercial sub-meter remote-sensing satellite network operated by Chang Guang Satellite Technology. The Jilin-1 constellation has grown to well over 100 satellites in orbit, providing high-resolution optical imagery and video for agriculture, mapping, disaster monitoring and environmental applications.

Deploying satellites in batches of 8 is a common cadence for Kinetica 1, which uses its solid-motor stages and a liquid-propellant upper module for precise orbital insertion. Each Jilin-1 satellite adds imaging capacity to a network designed to eventually revisit any point on Earth multiple times per day.

Key mission facts

Where did it launch from?

The launch took place from Launch Area 130 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in the Gobi Desert of northwestern China. Jiuquan is China's oldest and most active spaceport, and its dedicated commercial launch zones have become the primary home for solid-fueled vehicles like Kinetica 1. The site's high latitude and clear desert conditions make it well suited for launches into sun-synchronous and polar orbits favored by Earth-observation missions.

Did the launch succeed?

Yes. According to CAS Space, the mission achieved a successful orbital insertion, continuing the vehicle's strong flight record since its debut in 2022. Kinetica 1 has established itself as a reliable rideshare workhorse for Chinese commercial payloads, frequently carrying batches of remote-sensing and technology-demonstration satellites into low Earth orbit.

Why does this launch matter?

The Jilin-1 constellation represents China's flagship commercial remote-sensing effort, and each Kinetica 1 flight adds meaningful imaging capacity to the network. With more than 100 satellites already operational, the constellation supports near-daily global coverage at sub-meter resolution. Missions like this one demonstrate the growing role of commercial launch providers in rapidly expanding orbital infrastructure.

Solid-fueled rockets like Kinetica 1 offer fast turnaround and simplified ground handling compared with liquid-fueled vehicles, making them attractive for constellation deployment where cadence matters more than maximum lift capacity.

About CAS Space and Kinetica 1

CAS Space, formally Zhongke Aerospace, was founded in 2018 and is backed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its Kinetica 1 vehicle bridges the gap between China's small commercial launchers and the larger Long March family, targeting the growing market for medium-lift smallsat deployments. The company is also developing larger liquid-fueled vehicles for future missions.

How to track the satellites

You can follow the newly deployed Jilin-1 satellites and thousands of other objects in orbit on Cosmik's live 3D satellite map. Explore upcoming missions on the rocket launch schedule, catch up on the latest launch news, or learn how to track satellites yourself in real time.

Background information on the vehicle and operator is available via Kinetica 1 on Wikipedia, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and launch data is sourced from The Space Devs Launch Library.

Follow along on Cosmik

Watch the deployed Jilin-1 satellites orbit Earth in real time on Cosmik's live 3D map, and enable free launch alerts so you never miss the next Kinetica 1 mission or Jilin-1 constellation deployment.