China successfully launched its Kinetica-2 Y1 liquid-propellant rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone on March 30, 2026.The maiden flight deployed three satellites: New March 01, New March 02 (experiment cargo spacecraft), and TS 01 Educational Satellite, achieving full mission success.
The rocket features China’s first Common Booster Core (CBC) design, with modular, interchangeable stages allowing flexible payload configurations and thrust scaling.Standing 53 meters tall with a 3.35-meter core diameter, Kinetica-2 can lift 12 tons to a 200 km low Earth orbit or 8 tons to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit.
The New March 02 cargo spacecraft carried 27 experimental payloads totaling 1.02 tons, supporting scientific, technology verification, and educational missions in low Earth orbit.The modular and reusable design allows core and boosters to return together as a cluster, offering improved aerodynamic control, lower landing impact, and better payload efficiency.
Related stories:
