China has reportedly reached a major space sector milestone with its Kinetica-2 Y1 carrier rocket. The launch vehicle, also known as the Lijian-2 Y1, performed its inaugural flight on Monday, March 30.
According to local news reports, its launch cost less than the price of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch. This statement is highly debatable, as it appears to be based on outdated launch cost figures.
Fact check: Did Kinetica-2 Y1 really fly at a lower cost than Falcon 9?
The Kinetica-2 Y1 rocket was developed by CAS Space, a commercial spin-off from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It flew to space on March 30 from the commercial innovation pilot zone at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China.
During its debut flight, the Kinetica-2 Y1 rocket delivered three payloads to Earth’s orbit, including a prototype commercial cargo spacecraft and a satellite that will function as an orbital space lab.
According to a report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP), CAS Space vice-president Yang Haoliang claimed the Kinetica-2 Y1 rocket launch cost 30,000 yuan per kilogram (US$4,350 per 2.2lbs).
The SCMP report claims the cost of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable rocket is typically quoted as around US$5,000 per kg. It cites Star Market Daily, a financial news subsidiary of the state-owned Shanghai Media Group.
