China’s Lijian-1 (ZK-1) solid propellant rocket made its maiden flight from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, successfully sending six satellites into their preset orbits. According to its developer, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the 2.65-meter-diameter and 30-meter-long new rocket is the largest of its kind in China.
The rocket is a four-stage launch vehicle and weighs 135 tons at launch with a thrust of 200 tons. A fairing of 2.65 meters in diameter was atop the rocket during the Wednesday launch. The ZK-1 is capable of sending payloads of 1,500 kilograms into 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO), the CAS disclosed. source