China's CAS Space launches 15 satellites, including Oman's first, in landmark commercial launch

Beijing-based rocket manufacturer CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully launched 15 satellites into orbit on Monday, including one built for Oman, in what marked the first time a Chinese commercial space company has launched a satellite for a foreign client.

The Kinetica 1-Y5 rocket lifted off at 12:03 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gobi Desert, placing the satellites into their designated orbit, CAS Space announced.

The "Y5" in the rocket's code signifies it as the fifth flight of the series, which debuted in July 2022 as China's largest and most powerful solid-propellant rocket. The rocket, standing 30 meters tall and weighing 135 metric tons at liftoff, can carry payloads up to 1.5 tons into a sun-synchronous orbit approximately 500 kilometers above Earth.

Among the satellites launched was the IRSS-1, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology — a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp — for Oman Lens, a startup in the Omani space industry. The satellite will assist Oman with data collection and imaging for land mapping, urban planning, forestry monitoring, and disaster management.

CAS Space upgraded the Kinetica 1's payload fairing — the protective shell housing the satellite payload — for this mission, expanding its diameter from 2.65 to 3.35 meters to accommodate the 15 satellites. This adaptation marks a milestone for the series, which has now deployed a total of 57 satellites since its debut, maintaining a 100 percent success rate.