EXPACE

EXPACE, also known as ExPace Technology Corporation or CASIC Rocket Technology Company, is a Chinese state-owned space-launch company headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Established in February 2016, it operates as the commercial rocket division of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), a state-owned aerospace and defense group. The company is associated with CASIC's Wuhan National Space Industry Base, where its corporate facilities are located. The company's principal business is the development and commercial operation of small and medium launch vehicles intended to place satellites into low Earth orbit and sun-synchronous orbit. Its rocket family is marketed under the Kuaizhou name, which means “fast vessel” in Chinese. The Kuaizhou design philosophy emphasizes rapid availability and relatively short launch preparation. The vehicles use solid rocket motors, which do not require the same pre-launch fueling process as liquid-fueled rockets and can be stored after manufacture. This architecture is intended to support responsive launch services, although individual mission readiness also depends on payload integration, range access, regulatory approval, and other operational factors. Kuaizhou development began before ExPace was formally established. The program's origins are linked to Chinese solid-propellant launch and missile technologies, including systems developed for anti-satellite and ballistic-missile-defense applications. The Kuaizhou 1 made its first launch in September 2013, before the creation of ExPace. The later Kuaizhou 1A, a commercial variant designed to carry payloads to low Earth orbit, first flew in January 2017. ExPace subsequently introduced the larger Kuaizhou 11, designed for substantially heavier payloads and intended to expand the company's commercial launch capability. EXPACE presents its services within China's growing commercial space sector, where it competes with privately backed and state-affiliated launch developers such as LandSpace, Galactic Energy, LinkSpace, i-Space, OneSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace. The company has been described as one of the prominent launch providers emerging from China's broader commercial-space policy environment. Its position is differentiated by its relationship with CASIC, access to established aerospace and missile engineering capabilities, and its focus on solid-fuel launchers. The Kuaizhou 11's first flight on 10 July 2020 did not reach orbit, marking a setback for the vehicle's introduction. Publicly available reference material identifies the launch failure but does not provide a detailed technical explanation or a subsequent verified operational schedule. Financial information, current launch cadence, customer roster, and current executive leadership are not established in the supplied sources. Accordingly, EXPACE is best characterized as an active Chinese commercial launch brand whose documented public profile centers on the Kuaizhou rocket family and the development of responsive small-satellite launch services.

EXPACE is a Chinese state-owned commercial rocket company created in February 2016 as a wholly owned subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. Its base is in Wuhan, Hubei, within the Wuhan National Space Industry Base space-industrial park. The company was established to serve as CASIC's commercial launch division and to develop a market-facing business around the Kuaizhou family of orbital launch vehicles. The Kuaizhou program predates the corporate formation of EXSPACE. Development reportedly began in 2009 and drew on Chinese solid-propellant rocket and missile technologies. The Kuaizhou vehicles use solid rocket motors, allowing completed motors to be stored without the pre-launch fueling process required by many liquid-fueled launchers. This technical approach supports the program's emphasis on availability and responsive launch operations. The vehicles are designed primarily for small-satellite missions to low Earth orbit and sun-synchronous orbit. The first Kuaizhou 1 launch took place on 25 September 2013, before EXSPACE itself was founded. The Kuaizhou 1 was described as capable of carrying approximately 200 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. A later Kuaizhou 1A variant, with a stated capacity of approximately 300 kilograms to low Earth orbit, made its first launch on 9 January 2017. These vehicles formed the initial operational basis for the company's commercial launch activities. EXSPACE later developed the substantially larger Kuaizhou 11. Reference specifications describe a vehicle with a lift-off mass of approximately 78,000 kilograms, a diameter of 2.2 meters, and a payload capacity of about 1,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit or 1,000 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. The vehicle's first launch occurred on 10 July 2020, but the mission failed to reach orbit. The failure represented a technical and commercial setback for the expansion of the Kuaizhou line, although the supplied reference material does not establish the precise cause or document a subsequent recovery program. EXSPACE operates in an increasingly competitive Chinese launch market. Companies identified as competitors include LandSpace, Galactic Energy, LinkSpace, i-Space, OneSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace. Unlike many newer private-sector entrants, EXSPACE benefits from its ownership by CASIC, an established state-owned aerospace and missile manufacturer. Its market proposition combines CASIC's institutional and technical base with a commercial focus on small-satellite launch services. The public information supplied for this entry does not identify a founder, current or former executives, specific customers, detailed launch contracts, financial results, or a confirmed official website URL. It also does not establish the company's present launch cadence or the operational status of every Kuaizhou variant. The documented history therefore supports describing EXSPACE as an active CASIC subsidiary centered on commercial solid-fuel launch vehicles, while leaving unsupported corporate and financial details unreported.

• 2020

  Kuaizhou 11 inaugural launch fails

  [1]ExPaceen.wikipedia.org

  The larger Kuaizhou 11 launches for the first time on 10 July 2020 but does not reach orbit.

• 2017

  Kuaizhou 1A first launch

  [1]ExPaceen.wikipedia.org

  The Kuaizhou 1A completes its first launch on 9 January 2017.

• 2016

  EXPACE established

  [1]ExPaceen.wikipedia.org

  EXPACE is established in February as a wholly owned CASIC subsidiary and commercial rocket division.

• 2013

  First Kuaizhou 1 launch

  [1]ExPaceen.wikipedia.org

  The Kuaizhou 1 makes its first launch on 25 September 2013, carrying a small payload toward sun-synchronous orbit.

• 2009

  Kuaizhou development begins

  [1]ExPaceen.wikipedia.org

  Development of the Kuaizhou launch-vehicle family is reported to have begun, predating the establishment of EXSPACE.

A CASIC-backed commercial launch provider focused on responsive, solid-fuel orbital launch services for small and medium satellite payloads.

• Orbital launch vehicle · 2013

  Kuaizhou 1

  The Kuaizhou 1 is an early solid-propellant orbital launch vehicle in the Kuaizhou family. Its first launch took place on 25 September 2013. Reference specifications associate it with a payload capacity of approximately 200 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. The vehicle's development predates EXSPACE's 2016 corporate formation and helped establish the technical foundation for the company's later commercial launch offerings.

• Small-satellite launch vehicle · 2017

  Kuaizhou 1A

  The Kuaizhou 1A is a later variant of the solid-fuel Kuaizhou launcher intended for commercial small-satellite missions. It first flew on 9 January 2017 and is described as capable of placing approximately 300 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Its solid-propellant architecture supports storage and comparatively rapid launch preparation, subject to payload, range, and regulatory requirements.

• Medium-lift orbital launch vehicle · 2020

  Kuaizhou 11

  The Kuaizhou 11 is a larger member of the Kuaizhou family. Reference material gives it a 2.2-meter diameter, an approximately 78,000-kilogram lift-off mass, and payload capabilities of about 1,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit or 1,000 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. Its inaugural launch on 10 July 2020 failed to reach orbit, and the supplied sources do not establish its subsequent operational status.

• 2020

  Kuaizhou-11 maiden flight fails, two satellites lost

  On July 10, 2020, the Kuaizhou-11 solid launch vehicle developed by CASIC Rocket Technology made its maiden flight at Jiuquan; a flight anomaly caused the launch to fail, and the Jilin-1 Gaofen-02E and Weili Space-1 S2 satellites were lost. The developer disclosed that an earlier ground ignition test had also suffered an engine explosion. After troubleshooting and rectification, a reflight succeeded in December 2022.

  Source

Read more

• 2020

  Kuaizhou 11 inaugural flightProduct launch

  Background

  EXPACE introduced the larger Kuaizhou 11 to expand beyond its smaller launch vehicles and address heavier commercial payloads.

  Action taken

  The Kuaizhou 11 was launched for the first time on 10 July 2020.

  Aftermath

  The vehicle failed to reach orbit on its inaugural mission. The available reference does not document the technical cause or a verified follow-up schedule.

  Source

• 2016

  Creation of a dedicated CASIC commercial launch subsidiaryStrategy

  Background

  CASIC established EXSPACE to develop a commercial rocket business around the Kuaizhou family and to serve customers in the emerging small-satellite launch market.

  Action taken

  EXSPACE was formed as a wholly owned CASIC subsidiary with responsibility for commercial launch-vehicle activities.

  Aftermath

  The company became one of the Chinese launch providers competing for small-satellite and low-Earth-orbit missions.

  Source

1. 1ExPaceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kuaizhou-11 maiden flight fails, two satellites lostxinhuanet.com
3. 3Kuaizhou-11 maiden flight fails, two satellites lostm.ce.cn