Demo Flight (Qingzhou Prototype Spacecraft)

Overview

Destination: Polar Orbit
Mission: Test Flight

Polar Orbit Launch Area 140 Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

First test launch and mission of CAS Space’s Kinetica-2 rocket, with 3 spacecraft on board: * New March 02 (Qingzhou space station cargo resupply vehicle Prototype Spacecraft) * New March 01 in-orbit experiments hosting satellite * TS-01

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • March 30, 2026, 12:13 p.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 30, 2026, 11:28 a.m.

Liftoff.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 29, 2026, 5:01 p.m.

Updating launch date and time based on old information of possible secondary payload. Assignment of this launch to the launch listed in this launch window is highly uncertain.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 28, 2026, 12:25 p.m.

May possibly be linked with planned launch on March 30, with high uncertainties.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 21, 2026, 6:36 p.m.

Updated planned payload information.


Kinetica 2

Family:
Configuration:

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    52.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    4.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    625.0 T
  • Thrust
    7515.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Kinetica 2
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
    PR-2
  • Full Name
    Kinetica 2
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    12000.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    8000.0 kg

CAS Space

CAS Space

(CAS)

Founded: 2018 Successes: 16 Failures: 1 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

CAS Space is a spin-off company from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) that is operating and plans to operate various launch vehicles of the Zhongke series.

INFO WIKI
SpaceNews

Qingzhou prototype cargo spacecraft completes rendezvous tests in orbit

China has conducted rendezvous and proximity operations tests involving a prototype cargo spacecraft and a satellite in a step towards low-cost orbital infrastructure. The post Qingzhou prototype cargo spacecraft completes rendezvous test…

NASASpaceflight

China debuts new launchers, tests orbital servicing and outlines future deep-space missions

CAS Space and Space Pioneer have both debuted new Chinese commercial launchers within days of… The post China debuts new launchers, tests orbital servicing and outlines future deep-space missions appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

SpaceNews

China’s Kinetica-2 rocket debuts successfully, sending prototype cargo spacecraft to orbit

Chinese firm CAS Space successfully reached orbit with the first launch of its Kinetica-2 launch vehicle Monday, with a prototype cargo spacecraft among the payloads. The post China’s Kinetica-2 rocket debuts successfully, sending prototy…

NASASpaceflight

Launch Preview: SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Soyuz launches comprise busy launch manifest

Nine launches are scheduled this week, with rockets expected to liftoff from Florida, California, Russia,… The post Launch Preview: SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Soyuz launches comprise busy launch manifest appeared first on NASASpaceFlight…

SpaceNews

CAS Space to launch Kinetica-2 in late March carrying prototype cargo spacecraft

Chinese launch firm CAS Space is preparing for the inaugural launch of its reusable Kinetica-2 liquid rocket in late March, carrying a prototype cargo spacecraft. The post CAS Space to launch Kinetica-2 in late March carrying prototype ca…

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 140


Kinetica 1
Success
9 hours, 59 minutes ago
9 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 9 commercial Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites to SSO, details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
12 hours, 15 minutes ago
Starlink Group 15-27
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 day, 3 hours ago
PIESAT-2 13-16
Launch Complex 9 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

4 X-band synthetic-aperture radar Earth observation satellites for the Chinese Earth observation satellite company PIESAT.


Electron
Success
1 day, 10 hours ago
Owl By The Dozen (StriX Launch 12)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.


Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Success
2 days, 21 hours ago
Glonass-K1 No. 20 (?)
43/3 (43L) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Satellite serial number and Cosmos designation not confirmed. Glonass-K are the third generation of satellite design for GLONASS satellite n…


Kuaizhou 11
Success
3 days, 11 hours ago
SpaceTY-51 & 52
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2 Earth observation radar satellites built by the Chinese satellite manufacturer SpaceTY.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 12 hours ago
USSF-259
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

USSF-259 is a classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield …


Long March 12
Success
3 days, 13 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 25
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Soyuz 2.1b
Success
4 days ago
Progress MS-35 (96P)
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station.


Gravity-1
Success
4 days, 16 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #16
Yellow Sea (launch location 5) - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with …