The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China on Wednesday launched the Lijian-1 -- also known as Kinetica-1 Y11 -- carrier rocket carrying nine satellites, including three for international users.

The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. It sent the satellites into their planned orbits successfully.

International clients

"This launch has delivered payloads for international clients from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Nepal," said Meng Xiangfu, deputy chief commander of the Lijian-1 mission.

The UAE-led satellite, 813, is designed to observe soil, the climate and the environment. Meanwhile, the SPNEX, developed by Egypt, will be used to monitor climate change impacts and ionospheric dynamics.

Notably, the Slippers2Sat is an educational project spearheaded by a Nepali non-profit organization in partnership with the Amateur Radio Digital Communications Foundation.

Aimed at inspiring and supporting science education, the project specifically targets marginalized communities, impoverished populations and indigenous groups in Nepal. Its core objective is to empower middle school students to independently design and develop Nepal's third 1U CubeSat.

CAS Space, Lijian-1's developer, has now served a total of 32 satellite customers, including 26 domestic and six international clients, Meng said.

Industry experts have noted that international operations have become a key growth engine for China's commercial space sector. The Lijian-1 mission showcases the technical strength of the country's commercial aerospace sector while offering global clients a new choice in the industry.

Grid satellite

The launch also deployed Jixing High-Resolution 07D01, China's first remote-sensing satellite for the power industry.

With a spatial resolution of more than 0.5 meters, the satellite enables precise monitoring of the structural conditions of power grid equipment such as transmission lines and pylons.

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The satellite can perform continuous east-west strip observations, covering over 200 kilometers of a transmission corridor in a single pass, according to the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute, one of its designers.

Compared to current satellite systems, this new satellite is expected to enhance survey precision for transmission projects and line inspections by more than fivefold.

The satellite supports diverse applications, from managing ultra-high voltage (UHV) projects and assessing environmental impacts in transmission networks to inspecting critical power corridors, issuing disaster warnings and evaluating post-disaster damage.

Also in the launch payload were two remote-sensing satellites dedicated to water resource monitoring, urban management and digital transformation in a district in Hefei, the capital city of east China's Anhui Province.

Smart rocket technology

The Lijian-1 rocket used for this mission incorporates intelligent design in its control algorithms and software, giving it what its chief designer Shi Xiaoning described as "the ability to think."

These capabilities include autonomous status detection and real-time trajectory adjustment during flight deviations to ensure accurate satellite delivery, Shi said.

"By integrating cloud platforms and big data, the system autonomously collects and processes ground test data," Shi added. "It incorporates automated verification of data accuracy and operational limits, facilitating fully remote, single-command launch operations without the need for on-site personnel."

The rocket's control system was engineered with a unified architecture integrating control, telemetry, safety monitoring, and external measurement functions.

This innovative design approach mitigates traditional design constraints, minimizes functional redundancies, and reduces both onboard and ground hardware requirements. The outcome is a more versatile, efficient and cost-effective system.