China’s largest solid carrier rocket approved for sea launch

China’s largest solid carrier rocket, the Lijian-1, has been approved for launch at sea, according to the Beijing-based rocket company CAS Space.

The four-stage rocket is capable of putting a 1,500-kilogram payload into sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers, according to its developer, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The review committee said the scheme approved is reasonable and feasible, and main technical indicators meet the requirements of sea launch.

The rocket took its first flight on July 27, 2022, carrying six satellites and sending them into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.