BEIJING (Reuters) – CAS Space, one of China’s leading commercial rocket companies, said its Lijian-1 rocket failed unexpectedly on Friday, marking the first failure of the company’s main launch vehicle since its inaugural flight in 2022.
So far, CAS Space, a commercial spin-off of the Guangzhou-based Chinese Academy of Sciences, has successfully launched a total of 57 satellites during the five flights of Lijian-1.
Friday’s launch failed shortly after launch, prompting the solid-fuel rocket to self-destruct, CAS Space said in a statement, without specifying the number of satellites on board.
CAS Space previously said it planned to deliver 11 satellites.
In November, the Lijian-1 launch successfully delivered 15 satellites to their assigned orbits, including a remote sensing satellite for Oman, the company’s first international client.
At the time, Shi Xiaoning, the rocket’s chief designer, said the Lijian-1’s cost-effectiveness and reliability were well recognized in the international market.
CAS Space plans to launch its next launch vehicle, the Lijian-2, in 2025.
The rare setback comes as China’s commercial space sector expands rapidly and competition for local and international clients grows.
The Jielong-3, a low-lift rocket developed by China Rocket Co, is a close rival of the Lijian-1 in terms of payload. Its previous launch, the fourth, was in September.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the expansion of strategic industries including the commercial space sector, which is seen as key to building constellations of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation.
