Chinese rocket launches Mexican built satellites in international collaboration

Chinese rocket launches Mexican built satellites in international collaboration
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Aug 21, 2025

CAS Space successfully carried out the eighth flight of its Kinetica 1 rocket on Tuesday afternoon, sending seven satellites into orbit, including two designed and built in Mexico. The liftoff took place at 3:33 pm local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.

The payload package included a synthetic aperture radar satellite, an Earth observation satellite, and five experimental spacecraft. Among them were the mini ThumbSat-1 and ThumbSat-2 satellites, each weighing about 100 grams, developed by private Mexican firm ThumbSat.

According to the company, ThumbSat-1 carries a "selfie payload" intended to capture a mirror-selfie in orbit, while ThumbSat-2 features an artistic payload blending science with creativity. The company said these missions highlight that space exploration is about both data and expression.

CAS Space reported that the satellites were deployed using a custom-built satellite deployer designed through cooperation between its engineers and those from ThumbSat. ThumbSat also plans to install ground-receiving stations across Mexico, allowing students and enthusiasts to track signals from orbit using free antennas and software.

CAS Space described the mission as a landmark in Sino-Mexican space cooperation and a breakthrough for China's space sector in the North American commercial market. The company emphasized that the effort will foster closer scientific and technological ties between the two nations while contributing to an inclusive international space system.

Hu Xiaowei, project manager of Kinetica 1, stressed the rocket's reliability, noting that it has so far deployed 70 satellites with a total weight of more than seven metric tons. He said Kinetica 1 remains the leading commercial rocket in China's domestic market.

Tuesday's flight was not the first to serve foreign customers. In November last year, the rocket carried 15 satellites, including IRSS-1 built by the China Academy of Space Technology for the Omani startup Oman Lens, marking the first launch of a foreign-owned satellite by a Chinese commercial firm.

Meng Xiangfu, deputy manager of the Kinetica 1 project, highlighted the rocket's flexibility, speed of launch arrangement, cost-effectiveness, and precision in orbital deployment compared to international competitors.

Formerly called ZK 1A, the Kinetica 1 measures 30 meters in length, 2.65 meters in diameter, and weighs 135 tons at liftoff. It can deliver up to 1.5 tons of payload to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers.