🚀 Today, Dec 10, the Chinese mainland’s Lijian-1 (aka Kinetica-1 Y11) rocket soared into the sky from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu.
At 12:03 p.m. Beijing Time, the rocket powered off the launch pad and successfully placed nine satellites into their planned orbits. The planned orbit is the precise path around Earth where each one will circle to carry out its mission.
One standout payload is the UAE-led satellite 813, built to monitor soil health, climate trends and environmental changes 🌱🌍. This partnership highlights growing space collaboration between the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific.
For young space buffs across South and Southeast Asia, this launch is a reminder of how fast space tech is evolving. From mapping our planet to checking in on climate, these tiny satellites are doing big things. Plus, with more commercial zones like Dongfeng popping up, we are likely to see even more launches in the coming months.
What is next? Keep an eye on social feeds—you might catch live streams, behind the scenes clips and tech deep dives that make space launches feel like mega events. Whether you are coding the next ground station software or just geeking out over rocket engines, there is a place for you in this new space race 👩🚀👨💻.
Reference(s):
China launches Lijian-1 rocket, sending 9 satellites into orbit
cgtn.com
