(Yicai) April 14 -- The Kinetica-1 Y12 carrier rocket sent eight high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites into their planned orbit today, marking the start of scheduled launch services by Chinese developer CAS Space.

The Kinetica-1 Y12 carrier rocket achieved lift off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province, Guangzhou-based CAS Space said. This is the 12th mission of the Kinetica-1 rocket series, which has already delivered 92 satellites into space.

Kinetica-1, which mainly targets the microsatellite launch market, enables large-scale satellite deployment through technological innovation and standardized design, said CAS Space, which was incubated by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It previously set a record of launching 26 satellites with a single rocket.

Kinetica-1 features a number of universal satellite brackets that can carry multiple satellites of different sizes at the same time, said Sun Liangjie, deputy chief designer of the rocket. It also uses a range of new technologies, including online orbital maneuvering, customized separation posture and high-precision separation systems, to meet different orbital requirements.

Mass production of the rocket is already underway. By breaking the rocket down into standardized modules for independent manufacturing and then reassembling them, and by applying digital management and automated equipment, the company can produce over 10 rockets a year, with the potential to scale up to 30 in the future, said Deputy Project Commander Meng Xiangfu.

Founded in 2018, CAS Space has so far developed two models of carrier rockets, Kinetica-1 and Kinetica-2. Kinetica-2, which completed its maiden flight last month, features a flexible configuration with zero, two or four strap-on boosters, allowing it to meet different payload requirements.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor