Chinese Commercial Launch Providers Compared: LandSpace, Galactic Energy, CAS Space and Orienspace

China's commercial launch sector now offers satellite operators several flight-proven rockets outside the state-run Long March family. The most relevant for customers in 2026 are LandSpace (Zhuque-2E and Zhuque-3), Galactic Energy (Ceres-1), CAS Space (Kinetica-1 and Kinetica-2) and Orienspace (Gravity-1). They cover everything from a few hundred kilograms on a small solid rocket to more than 20 tonnes on a reusable methane launcher. For many international customers the deciding question is not payload or price but export control: if your satellite contains US-controlled items, a Chinese launch is usually off the table.

This guide compares the four companies using the figures they publish on their own websites, explains what the export control issue means in practice and shows where these rockets fit next to the other options on our provider directory.

Who are the Chinese commercial launch providers?

China's launch market has two layers. The Long March rockets come from the state sector and are listed on Carrier Space under China Great Wall Industry Corporation, for example the Long March 2C and Long March 6C. Next to them, a group of newer companies develop and fly their own rockets. The four below publish payload figures and have flown to orbit.

LandSpace: Zhuque-2E and Zhuque-3

LandSpace was founded in 2015 and focuses on medium and large liquid oxygen and methane rockets. It describes Zhuque-2 as the world's first methane-fuelled rocket to reach orbit.

Zhuque-2E: two stages, liquid oxygen and methane, 55 m long, 3.35 m fairing. Payload capacity 4,000 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) and 6,000 kg to a 200 km low Earth orbit (LEO).
Zhuque-3: stainless steel, 76.6 m long, 5.2 m fairing, nine TQ-12B engines on the first stage. Payload to LEO at 450 km: 21.3 t expendable, 18.3 t with first stage recovery downrange and 12.5 t with return to the launch site. LandSpace targets up to 20 reuses of the first stage and says it completed the first orbital launch of a reusable rocket in China's commercial sector in December 2025.

Zhuque-2E is in the class of a single large SSO satellite or a batch of small ones. Zhuque-3 sits in the heavy class next to Falcon 9; see our overview of launch vehicles by payload capacity for how these numbers compare. Profiles: Zhuque-2E and Zhuque-3.

Galactic Energy: Ceres-1 and Pallas-1

Galactic Energy is a private company whose solid rocket Ceres-1 serves small satellite missions.

Ceres-1: three solid stages plus a liquid upper stage, 1.4 m and 1.6 m diameter, lift-off mass 32.7 t. Payload capacity 300 kg to SSO and 420 kg to LEO. Galactic Energy reports that it completed the first sea launch by a private Chinese launch company.
Pallas-1: a liquid oxygen and kerosene rocket with a 4.2 m fairing, 283 t lift-off mass and 7 t to LEO, designed for reuse. The company positions it as the main vehicle for broadband constellation deployment.

Ceres-1 competes with small launchers such as Electron; our small launcher comparison covers the Western alternatives. Profiles: Ceres-1 and Pallas-1.

CAS Space: Kinetica-1 and Kinetica-2

CAS Space was founded in December 2018 and was incubated by the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On its English website it lists more than 16 successful launches, 122 satellites delivered and six international clients, and it runs a rideshare offer for small payloads.

Kinetica-1: CAS Space's rocket for small satellites and the basis of its rideshare offer. Its eleventh flight (Y11) carried nine satellites, three of them international, according to CAS Space.
Kinetica-2: first flight on 30 March 2026 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, delivering three spacecraft to their target orbits. The rocket is 53 m tall with a 4.2 m fairing and can carry 8 t to a 500 km SSO or 12 t to a 200 km LEO. With zero, two or four common booster cores, CAS Space says LEO capacity scales from 2 t to 20 t, and a planned Kinastra-1 kick stage is intended to reach GTO and GEO.

CAS Space also offers an English-language contact for launch requests on its website. Profiles: Kinetica-1 and Kinetica-2.

Orienspace: Gravity-1 and Gravity-2

Orienspace builds the Gravity family and offers both dedicated launches and rideshare.

Gravity-1: a solid rocket with a core stage and four solid boosters, a 4.2 m fairing and 405 t lift-off mass. Payload capacity 6.5 t to LEO and 4.2 t to a 500 km SSO. It is designed for launches from land and sea; Orienspace reports a successful maiden flight at sea and a far-sea launch that placed nine satellites in orbit.
Gravity-2: a larger liquid oxygen and kerosene rocket with a recoverable first stage, a 5.2 m fairing and 21.5 t to LEO or 15 t to a 500 km SSO, according to the company.

Profile: Gravity-1.

Payload capacity at a glance

Values as published by each manufacturer. Reference orbits differ, so compare like with like.

Ceres-1: 300 kg to SSO, 420 kg to LEO.
Zhuque-2E: 4,000 kg to 500 km SSO, 6,000 kg to 200 km LEO.
Gravity-1: 4,200 kg to 500 km SSO, 6,500 kg to LEO.
Pallas-1: 7,000 kg to LEO.
Kinetica-2: 8,000 kg to 500 km SSO, 12,000 kg to 200 km LEO.
Zhuque-3: 21,300 kg to 450 km LEO expendable, 18,300 kg with downrange recovery, 12,500 kg with return to launch site.

None of these companies publishes a price list. Treat any price you read elsewhere as unconfirmed and ask for a quote.

Export control: who can actually fly on a Chinese rocket?

This is the first question to settle. Under the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations, China is on the list of countries subject to a policy of denial for defense articles and defense services (22 CFR 126.1(d)(1)). In practice, a satellite that contains ITAR-controlled items cannot be exported to China for launch. Many satellites contain US-origin components, so operators in Europe and elsewhere need to check their bill of materials before they request a quote. Our article on ITAR and EAR for satellites explains how to do this.

International customers do fly: CAS Space, for example, counts 32 domestic and six international clients on its website and has launched a Nepalese student satellite through its rideshare offer. Check your own national rules as well, and talk to your insurer and investors early.

When does a Chinese launch make sense?

Your satellite is free of US-controlled content and your national authorities have no objection.
You need capacity in a specific class where you cannot find a suitable slot elsewhere, for example a dedicated SSO launch of 4 t to 8 t.
You work with partners in China or in countries that already use Chinese launch services.

If one of these conditions is not met, a rideshare on Falcon 9 or a European, Indian or Japanese rocket is usually the simpler path. Our checklist for choosing a launch provider helps you weigh the options, and the rocket comparison puts the vehicles side by side.

FAQ

Which Chinese private companies have reached orbit?

Among the companies in this guide, LandSpace, Galactic Energy, CAS Space and Orienspace all report successful orbital launches on their websites. Rockets from further companies such as Space Pioneer, iSpace and Deep Blue Aerospace are listed in our vehicle database.

Can a European or US satellite launch on a Chinese rocket?

Only if no export rule stands in the way. China is on the ITAR policy of denial list, so any satellite with ITAR-controlled items is effectively excluded. Satellites without US-controlled content may be possible, subject to national approval.

How much does a Chinese commercial launch cost?

None of the four companies publishes prices. You need to request a quote. Compare it with published prices such as those in our Falcon 9 cost guide.

Are Chinese rockets reusable?

Several are designed for reuse. LandSpace says Zhuque-3 completed the first orbital launch of a reusable rocket in China's commercial sector in December 2025 and targets up to 20 first stage reuses. Galactic Energy's Pallas-1 and Orienspace's Gravity-2 are also designed for first stage reuse.

Which Chinese rocket is best for a small satellite?

For payloads of a few hundred kilograms, Galactic Energy's Ceres-1 (300 kg to SSO) and the rideshare offers of CAS Space on Kinetica-1 are the closest match.

Request a launch

You can compare the Chinese rockets with all other providers on Carrier Space and send a launch request directly through the platform.

Sources

Cover image: West Taijinar salt lake in China, photographed from the International Space Station on 15 September 2024 (iss071e673954). Credit: NASA.