CAS Space completes second Lijian-2 rocket launch
Chinese aerospace firm CAS Space successfully placed 21 Qianfan satellites into orbit during the second flight of its Lijian-2 launch vehicle.
CAS Space conducted a successful launch of its Lijian-2 rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone on November 3 at 08:15 local time. The mission successfully delivered 21 Qianfan polar orbit satellites into their designated trajectories.
This mission represents the second flight of the Lijian-2 vehicle. The rocket, designed to support large-scale constellation deployment and low-cost cargo transport, features a modular core design with a lift capacity of 8 metric tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit and 12 metric tons to low Earth orbit. The launch follows the successful maiden flight of the vehicle in March 2024.
The satellites deployed are part of the Qianfan constellation, operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. The project aims to provide global high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband services with a roadmap toward future 6G integration.