China successfully launches its first commercial rocket mission 'Kuaizhou-1A'

Gansu (China): China has successfully launched its first commercial mission rocket 'Kuaizhou-1A' on Monday.

KZ-1A rocket sent three satellites, JL-1, two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, into the space from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu at around 12.11 p.m. (Beijing Time), as per Xinhua news agency.

The KZ-1A was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 rocket with improvements in adaptability.

It is a low-cost solid-fuelled carrier rocket with high reliability and short preparation period and was designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kg.

The JL-1 is a multifunctional remote-sensing satellite providing high-definition video images which is expected to be used for land resource and forestry surveying, environmental protection, transport and disaster prevention and relief purposes.

The XY-S1 and Caton-1 are experimental satellites to test technologies of low-orbit narrow-band communication and VHF Data Exchange System respectively.

A rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation was responsible for the launch mission.

(With IANS inputs)