Rocket DB

Kuaizhou family

Kuaizhou 1A

ActiveChinaExPaceSpec: 1A

Kuaizhou 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.

Flights flown31
Success rate90.3%28/31
Payload to LEO300kg
Maiden flight2017-01-09
Peak year20236 flights

Kuaizhou 1A is built by ExPace of China. Company background, funding, contracts and news for this operator are tracked on Space Index. It first flew on 9 January 2017.

Flight record

31 records
90.3% success rate28 of 31 flown · 3 failed
2017peak 2023 · 6 flights2025
First flight2017-01-09
Latest flight2025-12-05
Failures3
Consecutive successes2
Fastest turnaround5h 56m

Payload

Per mission profile
Low Earth orbit300kg
Sun-synchronous orbit250kg

Vehicle

1A spec
Stages4
Length19.4m
Diameter1.4m
Launch mass30t
Maiden flight2017-01-09
ReusableNo

Pads used

3 pads
Launch Area 95A23Mobile Launcher Pad7Launch Complex 161

Orbits delivered

3 orbits
Sun-Synchronous Orbit16Low Earth Orbit9Polar Orbit1

Compare

Same payload class
vs Electronvs Kosmos 11K63vs Kosmos-2I 63S1vs Atlas SLV-3D Centaurvs Pegasus XLvs Delta 2914

Launch history

31 launches
DateMissionPadOrbitOutcome
2025-12-05Kuaizhou 1A | Traffic VDES A & BLaunch Area 95ALow Earth OrbitSuccess
2025-07-31Kuaizhou 1A | PRSC-S1Mobile Launcher PadLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2025-03-01Kuaizhou 1A | Unknown PayloadLaunch Area 95AUnknownFailure
2024-12-04Kuaizhou 1A | Haishao-1Mobile Launcher PadLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2024-09-20Kuaizhou 1A | Tianqi 29-32Mobile Launcher PadLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2024-01-11Kuaizhou 1A | Tianxing-1-02Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2024-01-05Kuaizhou 1A | Tianmu-1 15-18Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2023-12-27Kuaizhou 1A | Tianmu-1 19-22Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2023-12-25Kuaizhou 1A | Tianmu-1 11-14Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2023-08-14Kuaizhou 1A | HEAD-3A/B/C/D/EMobile Launcher PadLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2023-07-20Kuaizhou 1A | Tianmu-1 07-10Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2023-06-09Kuaizhou 1A | Longjiang 3Launch Area 95ALow Earth OrbitSuccess
2023-03-22Kuaizhou 1A | Tianmu-1 03-06Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2022-09-24Kuaizhou 1A | Shiyan 14 & Shiyan 15Mobile Launcher PadSun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2022-09-06Kuaizhou 1A | CentiSpace-1 S3 & S4Launch Area 95ALow Earth OrbitSuccess
2022-08-23Kuaizhou 1A | Chuangxin-16Mobile Launcher PadLow Earth OrbitSuccess
2022-06-22Kuaizhou 1A | Tianxing-1Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2021-12-15Kuaizhou 1A | GeeSat x2Launch Area 95ALow Earth OrbitFailure
2021-11-24Kuaizhou 1A | Shiyan 11Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2021-10-27Kuaizhou 1A | Jilin-1-02FLaunch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2021-09-27Kuaizhou 1A | Jilin-1-02DLaunch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2020-09-12Kuaizhou 1A | Jilin-1-02CLaunch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitFailure
2020-05-12Kuaizhou 1A | Xingyun-2 01, 02Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2020-01-16Kuaizhou 1A | Yinhe-1Launch Area 95APolar OrbitSuccess
2019-12-07Kuaizhou 1A | HEAD-2A, 2B & Tianyi-16, 17 & Tianqi-4A, 4BLaunch Complex 16Success
2019-12-07Kuaizhou 1A | Jilin-1-02BMobile Launcher PadSuccess
2019-11-17Kuaizhou 1A | KL-AlphaLaunch Area 95ASuccess
2019-11-13Kuaizhou 1A | Jilin-1-02ALaunch Area 95ASuccess
2019-08-30Kuaizhou 1A | KX-09 & TY-1-07 (Xiaoxiang-1-07)Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2018-09-29Kuaizhou 1A | Centispace-1-S1Launch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess
2017-01-09Kuaizhou 1A | Multiple payloadsLaunch Area 95ASun-Synchronous OrbitSuccess

Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.

Further reading: Wikipedia