IUQUAN: Aug. 17, 2019. Chinas new carrier rocket Smart Dragon-1 (SD-1), designed for commercial use, made its maiden flight on Sunday, sending three satellites into planned orbit. The rocket, developed by the China Rocket Co. Ltd. affiliated to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:11 p.m.