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Launch FailureCAS Space

Kinetica 1: DEAR-3 & 10 other satellites

Launched 11 satellites including AZSPACE's DEAR-3 prototype recoverable science experiment spacecraft and the French CASAA-Sat cubesat from the Marseille Astrophysics Laboratory.

Failure:3rd stage loss of attitude control 3 seconds after ignition due to damage of the power supply wire to the 3rd stage motor Thrust Vector Control (TVC) mechanism during installation, then subsequent breaking due to vibration while in powered flight.
Friday, 27 December 202401:03 UTC
Kinetica 1: DEAR-3 & 10 other satellites

Mission Data

CAS Space
🇨🇳CAS SpaceEst. 2018
Launch VehicleKinetica 1
Vehicle Record15 of 16 launches (93.8%)
Provider TypeCommercial
Agency Record17 successes / 1 failures (94%)
Success Streak12 consecutive
Mission TypeTechnology
Target OrbitSun-Synchronous Orbit
Launch PadLaunch Area 130
Location🇨🇳 Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China CHN
Orbital Launches This Year#256
Agency Launches This Year#4
Launches From This Pad16
Launches From This Site302
Status Note

Either the launch vehicle did not reach orbit, or the payload(s) failed to separate.

About Kinetica 1

Kinetica 1 (also known as Lijian-1, Chinese: 力箭一号) is a Chinese solid-propellant light launch vehicle. It is capable of placing about 2 tons into low earth orbit and 1.5 tons into sun-synchronous orbit. It is developed by CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Kinetica 1 is a light launcher whose first stage seems to be derived from the DF-31 long-range intercontinental ballistic missile. It is 30 m high and has a diameter of 2.65 m, with a liftoff mass of 135 t. It's the largest Chinese solid propellant launcher to date, with four stages with a thrust of 200, 100, 50 and 10 tons respectively. The fairing has a diameter of 3.35 meters.

Launch updates

  1. Launch failure confirmed.

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  2. Liftoff confirmed; launch may have failed, confirmation pending.

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  3. NET December 27.

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  4. Adding launch per NOTAMs; Payload and launch vehicle identities uncertain.

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Launch Site

Launch Area 130 · 40.8182°N 100.2251°E

Launch data from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs.