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Kuaizhou 1A | Traffic VDES A & B
ExPaceLaunch Successful

Traffic VDES A & B

Kuaizhou 1A

Historical mission record

This page records Kuaizhou 1A | Traffic VDES A & B and its reported outcome: Launch Successful. The date above is a historical record.

Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.

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How to read launch targets and status

The latest on this mission

What changed?

Launch success.

Update ↗

Delayed to December 5 per new NOTAMs/marine navigation warnings.

Update ↗

Added launch per NOTAMs/marine navigation warnings; Payload and launch vehicle identities highly uncertain.

Update ↗
Mission status
Launch Successful

Status reported by the mission data provider.

LAUNCH SITEJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Mission

Two technology demonstration satellites for satellite transmissions of signals for the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES), a successor to the current Automatic Identification System (AIS) on ships and maritime vessels for traffic management at sea with higher bandwidth on new frequencies for secure communications and e-navigation. This project is a joint effort by the China Ministry of Transport's China Transport Telecommunications Information Center and SpaceSail, operator of the Qianfan/G60 constellation.

Launch vehicle
Kuaizhou 1A
Mission type
Technology
Destination orbit
Low Earth Orbit
Launch pad
Launch Area 95A
Provider
ExPace

The vehicle

Published configuration and flight history.

Kuaizhou 1A
CASIC
Launch vehicle

Kuaizhou 1A

Kuaizhou is a family of Chinese "quick-reaction" orbital launch vehicles. Flying since 2013, Kuaizhou 1 and 1A consist of three solid-fueled rocket stages, with a liquid-fueled fourth stage as part of the satellite system.

Height
19.4 m
Diameter
1.4 m
Stages
4
Recorded launches
31
First flight
2017-01-09

Recorded timing

This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.

1h windowPublished target
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Target ·

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Launch site & orbit

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The mission in perspective

Launch site & orbit

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NASA Blue Marble map of Earth's continents and oceans
Representative orbit · accelerated illustrationNo live tracking or simulated ascent. NASA Blue Marble.

Coverage & sources

Links supplied by the mission data provider.
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Mission coverage

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Further reading

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