China Competes With SpaceX: Long March 8A Launches 23 Internet Satellites

China has successfully placed another group of low Earth orbit internet satellites into orbit. According to ixbt.com, this major aerospace event took place on August 4 at 16:52 Beijing time from a commercial spaceport on Hainan Island. Ixbt.com reports .

The upgraded Long March 8A carrier rocket was used for this large-scale mission. According to data released by Chinese officials, all 23 modern spacecraft were successfully delivered to their designated orbit, marking another important step toward expanding the space network.

Upgraded rocket capabilities

This flight was the first test of the updated Long March 8A rocket after a comprehensive modernization. During the flight, specialists fully tested the upgraded systems and confirmed that the rocket’s payload capacity had increased significantly.

Experts believe that these expanded technical capabilities will make it possible to deploy large-scale satellite constellations worldwide more efficiently and quickly in the future. The mission also tested several advanced technologies.

Rapid launch mode

During the operation, preparations were optimized and the overall efficiency of prelaunch procedures was significantly improved. This demonstrates the growing technological capabilities of China’s space industry.

One of the main achievements of this successful flight was the first use of a mode that places satellites directly into their target orbit. As a result, the spacecraft can begin operations significantly earlier.

Unlike traditional methods, the spacecraft did not have to spend months independently raising their orbits. This approach sharply reduces the time required to expand space internet networks and bring them into service.