China Launches Another Batch of Low-Earth-Orbit Internet Satellites

Ixbt.com reports that the launch was successful.

According to a report by ixbt.com, the next rocket launch took place on August 16 at 12:10 Beijing time. A commercial spaceport on Hainan Island was selected for this important mission, and the rocket was successfully launched from a dedicated pad. All the spacecraft separated from the rocket at the scheduled time and successfully entered their designated orbits.

Capabilities of the Long March-12 Rocket

The launch vehicle used for this mission is also notable from a technical standpoint. Reports say that a Long March-12 two-stage rocket was selected for the flight. The vehicle runs on a liquid oxygen–kerosene propellant pair and is attracting considerable interest from specialists because of its technical specifications.

The rocket was specially developed by experts at the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The launch vehicle stands out for being extensively optimized to deliver commercial payloads into low Earth and sun-synchronous orbits. This will further strengthen China’s position in the commercial space market.

Expanding the Global Internet Network

Today, leading countries and private companies around the world are working intensively to create global internet coverage using low-Earth-orbit satellites. China’s program is the practical implementation of this same strategic goal. Each successful launch of a new batch is laying a strong foundation for expanding the country’s space infrastructure.

Nevertheless, the number of satellites in the 24th group launched so far remains undisclosed. The officially released statement did not provide the exact number of spacecraft. Even so, China’s activity in this field indicates that competition in the space technology market is set to intensify.