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Launch Successful

Kuaizhou 1A | Traffic VDES A & B

December 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM UTC

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Kuaizhou 1A | Traffic VDES A & B launch image
Mission imagery · Kuaizhou 1A

Launch details

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December 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM UTC

Status: Launch Successful · Live feed refreshes every 30 seconds

Launch Area 95A

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China · 40.9691, 100.3433

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Launch site
Launch Area 95A

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch probability
Not published
Window opens
December 5, 2025 at 8:54 AM UTC
Window closes
December 5, 2025 at 9:54 AM UTC
Feed updated
December 13, 2025 at 3:54 AM UTC

Mission description

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.

Vehicle

Kuaizhou 1A

Kuaizhou · 1A

Height

19.4 m

Diameter

1.4 m

LEO capacity

300 kg

Successful launches

28

Launch complex

Launch Area 95A

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a Chinese spaceport located between the Ejin, Alxa, Inner Mongolia and Hangtian Town, Jinta County, Jiuquan, Gansu Province. It is part of the Dongfeng Aerospace City (Base 10).

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Official links

Mission updates

Launch success.

December 5, 2025 at 12:18 PM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin

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

December 4, 2025 at 1:42 AM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin

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

December 2, 2025 at 9:48 PM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin