Abstract: The Smart Dragon 1 (SD-1) launch vehicle is the first commercial rocket developed by China Academy 
of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), targeting to the international launch market for small satellites. As the smallest launch vehicle in China at present, SD-1 is one of the most efficient solid boost rockets nationwide in terms of launch capacity. Compared with current domestic rockets, it provides remarkable access to space with a faster response, higher orbit-injection accuracy and better payload accommodation at a lower cost. On August 17, 2019, SD-1 completed its maiden flight and delivered three satellites into the desired Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) of 550 km accurately. In this article, a technical review of SD-1 is presented detailing the design concept and the use of state of the art technology throughout its development.