Chinese Kuaizhou-11 rocket launches commercial experimental spacecraft

The rocket lifted off at 9:08 a.m. Beijing time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China and delivered its payloads into their planned orbit.

Among the payloads was DEAR-5, a cargo-capable experimental space platform developed by Beijing-based commercial space company AZSPACE. Designed to support orbital operations for at least one year, DEAR-5 can carry up to 300 kilograms of payload and transmit experimental data back to Earth.

DEAR-5 consists of service and payload modules and provides 1.8 cubic meters of cargo space. The mission carries 34 experiments from universities, research institutions, and companies, covering fields such as microgravity research, space technology, space materials science, and the verification of new technologies in orbit.

DEAR-5 features a cylindrical design with a tapered top and is equipped with two thin-film solar arrays. It also carries a range of onboard experimental equipment, including an optical camera, space environment sensors, a plant growth facility, a mini space laboratory, and a flexible sealed compartment.

Also aboard the rocket was the Xiwang-5 Phase-2 satellite, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology.

The Kuaizhou-11 solid-fueled launch vehicle, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited, is capable of delivering payloads of up to one ton to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The mission marked the fourth flight of the Kuaizhou-11 rocket.

Previously, Qazinform News Agency reported the Baikonur Cosmodrome readies for the key rocket launch on December 15.