The Kuaizhou-1A is promoted as “high reliability, high precision and low-cost solid launch vehicle” developed by China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASIC) and commercialized by the China Space Sanjiang Group Corporation (Expace).
The launch vehicle can send a 200kg payload into a 700km sun-synchronous orbit.
The vehicle is based on the road-mobile DF-21 missile, with the addition of two stages. There are no obvious differences between
the KZ-1A (that was previously commercially available as the FT-1 Feitian-1) and the KZ-1 launch vehicle. However, with the KZ-1,
the payload remains attached to the fourth liquid stage, while the KZ-1A is used for multiple payloads.
The KZ-1A solid launch vehicle adopts a mobile launch platform, integrated power supply equipment, test and launch control
facilities, aiming facility and temperature control facility, to carry vehicles from the technical support center to launch site,
complete temperature control of payload, vehicle test and launch.
The rocket is 20 meters long with a lift-off mass of 30 tons and is 1.4 meters in diameter. The solid propulsion system consists
of three solid vehicle motors to provide power during first stage flight, second stage flight and third stage flight. All of the
three solid motors use a single fixed nozzle.
The vehicle can be used with two kinds of fairings having a diameter of 1.2 and 1.4 meters according to the space demand of
cargo to be orbited.
