Kuaizhou

Kuaizhou (KZ, Chinese: 快舟; pinyin: kuàizhōu, meaning "speedy vessel")^[1] (also called Feitian Emergency Satellite Launch System, Feitian-1, FT-1)^[2][3][4] is a family of Chinese "quick-reaction" orbital launch vehicles. Flying since 2013, Kuaizhou 1 and 1A consist of three solid-fueled rocket stages, with a liquid-fueled fourth stage as part of the satellite system.^[5] Kuaizhou 11, which flew an unsuccessful maiden flight in July 2020 (and successful second flight in 2022), is a larger model able to launch a 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) payload into low Earth orbit. Heavy-lift models KZ-21 and KZ-31 are in development.^[6] The Kuaizhou series of rockets is manufactured by ExPace, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), as their commercial launch vehicles.^[7][8]

History

Kuaizhou 11 Y2 carrier rocket pre-launch

Kuaizhou 1A Y6 on the transporter erector launcher prior to launch, 12 May 2020

The rocket series is based on CASIC's Anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) and BMD mid-course interceptor rockets, in particular the DF-21 Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) (another Chinese rocket that was based on DF-21 was the Kaituozhe-1). Development on the KZ launch vehicles started in 2009. The Kuaizhou launch vehicles were to provide an integrated launch vehicle system with the rapid ability to replace Chinese satellites that might be damaged or destroyed in an act of aggression in orbit. The vehicle uses mobile launch platform. The launch vehicle is operated by the PLA Rocket Force.^[7][9][5]

The maiden flight of Kuaizhou 1 launch vehicle, orbiting the Kuaizhou 1 natural disaster monitoring satellite, occurred on 25 September 2013, launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.^[10]

Second flight of Kuaizhou 1 launch vehicle, orbiting the Kuaizhou 2 natural disaster monitoring satellite, was launched at 06:37 UTC on 21 November 2014, again from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.^[5][1]

The first commercial launch inaugurated the Kuaizhou 1A version on 9 January 2017, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It placed three small satellites into a polar orbit.^[11]

The maiden launch of Kuaizhou 11 was on 10 July 2020. The launch was a failure, and the rocket was initially declared retired in April 2022,^[12] but later that year it was revealed that a second launch was planned for December.^[13] The successful launch of Kuaizhou 11 on 7 December 2022 marked the rocket's return to service.^[14]

Specifications

The solid-fuel KZ-1A can place 200 kg payload into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometres. The KZ-11 version is able to put 1000 kg to the same orbit.^[15]

Launch preparations are designed to take very little time, and the launch can be conducted on rough terrain.^[8] The rocket's low requirements for launch help with cost savings, yielding a launch price under US$10,000 per kilogram of payload. This price level is very competitive in the international market.^[9]

Satellites can be installed on a Kuaizhou launch vehicle and stored in a maintenance facility. Once needed, the launch vehicle is deployed by a Transporter erector launcher (TEL) vehicle to a secure location. Launch readiness time can be as short as several hours.^[16][4]

Models

Rocket	First launch	Last Launch	Payload fairing size	Payload to LEO	Payload to SSO	Lift-off mass	Length	Diameter	Thrust	Payload cost
Kuaizhou 1 (KZ-1)	25 September 2013	21 November 2014			430 kg (950 lb) (500 km)[5][17][18]	30–32 tonnes[5]	19.4 m (64 ft)	1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)
Kuaizhou 1A (KZ-1A)	9 January 2017	20 September 2024	1.2–1.4 m (3 ft 11 in – 4 ft 7 in)[19]	400 kg (880 lb)[20][21]	250 kg (550 lb) (500 km) 200 kg (440 lb) (700 km)[19]	30 tonnes, TEL-capable[17]	19.4 m (64 ft)[19]	1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)[19]		$20,000/kg ($9,100/lb)[22]
Kuaizhou 1A Pro (KZ-1A Pro)	4 December 2024		1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)[23]	450 kg (990 lb)[24]	360 kg (790 lb) (500 km) [25]			1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)[19]
Kuaizhou 11 (KZ-11)	10 July 2020[26]		2.2–2.6 m (7 ft 3 in – 8 ft 6 in)[19]	1,500 kg (3,300 lb)	1,000 kg (2,200 lb) (700 km)[19]	78 tonnes,[19] TEL-capable[17]		2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)[19]		$10,000/kg ($4,500/lb)[9]
Kuaizhou 21 (KZ-21)	2025 (projected)[17]			20,000 kg (44,000 lb)[6]				4 m (13 ft)[6]
Kuaizhou 31 (KZ-31)	(TBD)[citation needed]			70,000 kg (150,000 lb)[6]				4 m (13 ft) (engines)[6]

List of launches

Flight No.	Date (UTC)	Launch site	Version; Flight number	Payload	Orbit	Result
1	25 September 2013 04:37 [10]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1 Y1	Kuaizhou 1	SSO	Success
2	21 November 2014 06:37 [5]	Jiuquan, LS-95B	Kuaizhou 1 Y2	Kuaizhou 2	SSO	Success
3	9 January 2017 04:11	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y1	Jilin-1-03	SSO	Success
4	29 September 2018 04:13	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y8	Centispace 1-S1	SSO	Success
5	30 August 2019 23:41	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y10	KX-09	SSO	Success
6	13 November 2019 03:40	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y11	Jilin-1-02A	SSO	Success
7	17 November 2019 09:52 [27]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y7	KL-Alpha A and B	LEO	Success
8	7 December 2019 02:55 [28]	Taiyuan, LC-16	Kuaizhou 1A Y2	Jilin-1-02B	SSO	Success
9	7 December 2019 08:52 [28]	Taiyuan, LC-16	Kuaizhou 1A Y12	HEAD-2 A/B, SPACETY-16/17, Tianqi-4 A/B	SSO	Success
10	16 January 2020 03:02 [29]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y9	Yinhe-1	LEO	Success
11	12 May 2020 01:16 [30]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y6	Xingyun 2-01 and Xingyun 2-02	LEO	Success
12	10 July 2020 04:17 [31]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 11 Y1	Jilin-1-02E and Centispace-1-S2	SSO	Failure
13	12 September 2020 05:02 [32]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y3	Jilin-1 Gaofen-02C	SSO	Failure
14	27 September 2021 06:19 [33]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y4	Jilin-1 Gaofen-02D	SSO	Success
15	27 October 2021 06:19[34][32]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y5	Jilin-1 Gaofen-02F	SSO	Success
16	24 November 2021 23:41[35]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y13	Shiyan 11	SSO	Success
17	15 December 2021 02:00[36]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y17	GeeSAT-1A/1B	LEO	Failure
18	22 June 2022 02:08[37]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y23	Tianxing-1	LEO	Success
19	23 August 2022 02:36[38]	Xichang	Kuaizhou 1A Y15	Chuangxin-16 A/B	LEO	Success
20	6 September 2022 02:24[39]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y16	Centispace 1-S3/S4	LEO	Success
21	24 September 2022 22:55[40]	Taiyuan, LC-16	Kuaizhou 1A Y14	Shiyan 14/Shiyan 15	SSO	Success
22	7 December 2022 01:15[41]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 11 Y2	Xingyun Jiaotong VDES	SSO	Success
23	22 March 2023 09:09[42]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y19	Tianmu-1 03–06	SSO	Success
24	9 June 2023 02:35[43]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y20	Longjiang-3	LEO	Success
25	20 July 2023 03:20[44]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y22	Tianmu-1 07–10	SSO	Success
26	14 August 2023 05:32[45]	Xichang (Mobile Launcher Pad)	Kuaizhou 1A Y21	Jiaotong 06–10 (HEAD 3A–3E)	LEO	Success
27	25 December 2023 01:00[46]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y26	Tianmu-1 11–14	SSO	Success
28	27 December 2023 06:50[47]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y27	Tianmu-1 19–22	SSO	Success
29	5 January 2024 11:20[48]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y28	Tianmu-1 15–18	SSO	Success
30	11 January 2024 03:52[49]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 1A Y24	Tianxing-1 02	SSO	Success
31	21 May 2024 04:15[50]	Jiuquan, LS-95A	Kuaizhou 11 Y4	Wuhan-1, VLEO test satellite, Tianyan-22, Lingque-3-01	SSO	Success
32	20 September 2024 09:43[51]	Xichang, (Mobile Launcher Pad)	Kuaizhou 1A Y31	Tianqi 29-32 (4 satellites)	LEO	Success
33	4 December 2024 04:46[52]	Xichang, (Mobile Launcher Pad)	Kuaizhou 1A Pro Y30	Haishao-1	LEO	Success

Launch Statistics

Kuaizhou configurations

1

2

3

4

5

6

2013

2015

2017

2019

2021

2023

2025

•   Kuaizhou 1
•   Kuaizhou 1A
•   Kuaizhou 11

Launch sites

1

2

3

4

5

6

2013

2015

2017

2019

2021

2023

2025

•   Jiuquan
•   Xichang
•   Taiyuan

Launch outcomes

1

2

3

4

5

6

2013

2015

2017

2019

2021

2023

2025

•   Success
•   Partial failure
•   Failure
•   Planned

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• Kaituozhe-1, a previous Chinese small lift orbital launcher based on the DF-21 IRBM.
• China National Space Administration
• ExPace
• Long March (rocket family)
• Space program of China
• Small-lift launch vehicle

References

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