KevinJamesNg

At 6^th June 2026 (Beijing time) Beijing time CNSA –China National Space Administration, the Long March 5 Yao-11 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province,  China, People’s Republic of China., On the morning of June 6, 2026, Beijing time, the Long March 5 Y11 carrier rocket and its satellite assembly, after completing relevant work in the technical area at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, was vertically transported from the assembly and testing building to the launch area on a mobile launch platform. The launch mission preparations have entered their final stage.

This mission is China’s third high-orbit launch mission in 2026 and the first launch of the Long March 5 carrier rocket of the year. The mission slogan is “Building a Galaxy of Merit, Determined to Win…..

The Long March 5 (nicknamed “Fat Five”) is China’s first new-generation high-thrust cryogenic liquid-fueled launch vehicle with a core stage diameter of 5 meters. The Y11 rocket has been transported to the launch area and is scheduled to be launched soon. Meanwhile, its improved version, the Long March 5B, is being prepared for the expansion of the space station, the upgrade of the fairing, and the addition of stages

 

I. Core Parameters and Technical Features

1. Basic configuration and scale

• Configuration : It adopts a two-and-a-half-stage configuration, consisting of a core stage, a core stage, and four boosters.2
• Dimensions : Maximum height approximately 63.2 meters (about 20 stories high), core stage diameter 5 meters, booster diameter 3.35 meters.2
• Mass : Takeoff mass approximately 874 tons (approximately 870 tons under certain mission conditions).@HanLu2
• Thrust : Takeoff thrust is 1068 tons (approximately 1060-1078 tons), with more than 90% of the thrust provided by 8 YF-100 liquid oxygen kerosene engines (120 tons each). The core stage is equipped with 2 YF-77 hydrogen-oxygen engines.2

2. Carrying capacity

Track type	carrying capacity
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)	25 tons (approximately the equivalent of 3 core modules of the space station)
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)	14 tons
Earth-Moon Transfer Orbit (TLI)	8.25 tons (in actual missions, Chang’e 6 could be sent into orbit weighing 8.3 tons)
Earth-Mars Transfer Orbit (TMI)	5.2 tons

3. Propellant characteristics

• The core stage uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic propellants, while the boosters use liquid oxygen and kerosene cryogenic propellants.2
• Cryogenic propellants have extremely low temperatures (liquid hydrogen -253°C, liquid oxygen -183°C), and white mist will condense on the surface of the rocket body before launch, requiring pre-launch refueling and continuous replenishment.

II. Latest Launch Updates

1. The Long March 5 Y11 rocket has been transported and is ready for launch.

• Timeline : On the morning of June 6, 2026, the Y11 mission satellite and rocket assembly was vertically transported from the vertical assembly and testing facility to the launch area, with launch scheduled for the near future.
• Mission Background : This is the first launch of the Long March 5 rocket in 2026, with the mission slogan “Building a Starry Sky, Determined to Win”
• Payload speculation : Third-party predictions indicate that the payload is “Communication Technology Experiment 25” and will enter geosynchronous transfer orbit.

2. Launch time adjustment

• The launch, originally scheduled for June 10, was postponed by one day due to mission adjustments. It is now finally scheduled to launch around June 10. Please stay tuned for official confirmation.

III. Major Historical Tasks and Achievements

1. Core Force in Space Station Construction (Long March 5B)

• The Long March 5B rocket, designed specifically for the space station, has launched the Tianhe core module (2021), the Wentian experimental module, and the Mengtian experimental module, serving as the cornerstone of the Tiangong space station construction
• As of 2026, the Tianhe core module has been operating stably in orbit for five years, and the space station has carried out 267 scientific experiments.

2. Flagship launch vehicle for deep space exploration

• Chang’e 5 (2020): Sends an 8.2-ton probe into a lunar transfer orbit, achieves lunar surface sample return, and brings back 1,731 grams of lunar soil.
• Chang’e 6 (2024): Launched the world’s first lunar sample return probe, weighing approximately 8.3 tons, which was China’s heaviest deep space probe at the time.
• Tianwen-1 (2020): Successfully sent the Mars probe into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit (capacity 5.2 tons), achieving China’s first independent Mars exploration.
• Chang’e 7 (planned for August 2026): Development has been completed and it will carry out a detailed lunar resource survey mission. It is expected to be launched by Long March 5 Y12 .

3. Satellite Internet Network

• The Long March 5B rocket, carrying the Yuanzheng-2 upper stage, has completed its near-polar orbit satellite internet networking mission, deploying more than 10 satellites in a single launch, contributing to the full deployment of the first phase of 168 satellites…

IV. Technological Upgrading and Future Evolution

1. Improved Long March 5B Proposal

• Enlarged fairing : A new fairing with a larger diameter is being developed (there are already cases of using an 18.5-meter ultra-long fairing), and a 6.4-meter diameter fairing will be launched in the future to accommodate larger satellites.
• Adding a stage : Adding a stage to the existing two-and-a-half-stage configuration to form a three-stage configuration, in order to support the subsequent expansion of the space station.13
• The new configuration is positioned to serve the “secondary expansion” of the space station, including the launch of a space survey telescope (planned for launch in 2027).

2. Enhanced launch site capabilities

• The Wenchang Space Launch Site has built a new vertical assembly and testing facility for the Long March 5 and Long March 7 rockets (to be put into use in December 2025), which can support the simultaneous testing of four rockets, nearly doubling the annual launch capacity.3511
• Optimized launch and testing process: The launch and testing cycle for the Long March 5 mission has been shortened from 55 days to 36 days.

V. International Positioning and Comparison

1. Asia’s strongest active rocket

• With a low Earth orbit payload capacity of 25 tons, the Long March 5 maintains an absolute lead among active rockets in Asia, comparable to the Delta IV Heavy rocket in the United States, but lower than SpaceX’s Starship (250 tons in non-recovery mode)

2. Comparison with rockets under development

• Long March 10 : A new generation of manned lunar landing rocket, it adopts a two-stage bare rod or three-and-a-half-stage CBC configuration, and its low-Earth orbit payload capacity has been increased to 70 tons. It is planned to carry out manned lunar landing missions around 2030, and completed low-altitude demonstration verification in February 2026.
• Commercial rocket benchmarks : Domestic commercial companies such as Yushi Space AS-1 (stainless steel rocket body + chopstick recovery) and Dahang Yueqian “Yueqian-1” are both planned to make their maiden flight in 2027, and their core teams mostly come from the development background of Long March 5

Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration

On CNSA –China National Space Administration    …. ChangZheng  Long March 8 Carrier flight rocket …. At Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China At 14:34 Beijing time on June 5, 2026, the Long March 8 Y9 carrier rocket was launched from Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, successfully sending the Qianfan Polar Orbit 12 satellites into their predetermined near-polar orbit.

The Qianfan Polar Orbit 12 constellation comprises 18 satellites, which are small low-Earth orbit communication satellites developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This mission marks the 6th launch of the Qianfan constellation in 2026 and the 12th launch overall. With this launch, the total number of Qianfan satellites launched in 2026 will reach 92, bringing the total number of satellites launched in batches to 200.

The Long March 8 is a medium-lift cryogenic liquid-fueled launch vehicle developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Its core stage and booster stages are the same as those of the Long March 7, but the number of boosters has been reduced from four to two. The final stage (core stage two) is the same as the final stage (core stage three) of the Long March 3A series launch vehicles. This rocket has the capability to launch into low, medium, and high Earth orbits, as well as deep space, and is currently the main rocket model for China’s low-Earth orbit constellation network.

The Long March 8 rocket has set a new record for the shortest launch interval among all rocket models!

The Long March 8 rocket is 50.34 meters tall (equipped with a 4.2-meter diameter fairing), with a maximum stage diameter of 3.35 meters. It can be equipped with either a 4.2-meter diameter, 5.4-meter height fairing (short fairing) or a 4.2-meter diameter, 12-meter height fairing (long fairing). It has a liftoff mass of 356 tons and a payload capacity of 5.5 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). This particular rocket is equipped with a 4.2-meter diameter long fairing.

Currently, the rocket team has significantly increased the launch density of the Long March 8 rocket through methods such as pulsed production and parallel testing and launch of two rockets simultaneously. This mission comes only 18 days, 15 hours, and 52 minutes after the last launch of the Long March 8 rocket, setting a new record for the shortest launch interval for the Long March 8 and even the Long March 8 series of rockets. In 2026, the Long March 8 rocket will enter a higher-density launch mode.

This launch was provided by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd. (CCASCOM), the general contractor. As the domestic commercial launch service platform of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, CCASCOM provides “one-stop” launch solutions to quickly respond to the launch needs of large-scale low-Earth orbit constellation deployment.

This mission marks the third launch of the Long March-8 carrier rocket in 2026, the sixth launch from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, the 37th launch for China, and the 130th launch worldwide. It also represents the seventh launch of the Long March-8 carrier rocket and the 649th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration

At 1939 Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 4 June 2026 , China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration   Successfully launched  Chang Zheng – Long March 6A At 19:39 Beijing time on June 4, 2026, China successfully launched the Qianfan Polar Orbiting Satellite 11 into its predetermined orbit using a Long March-6A carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success. This mission marked the 648th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.

1. Key Facts of the Launch Mission

The key parameters for this launch mission are as follows:

• Launch time : 19:39 on June 4, 2026
• Launch site : Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
• Launch Vehicle : Long March 6A Launch Vehicle
• Launch method : “One rocket carrying 18 satellites”, simultaneously sending 11 Qianfan polar-orbiting satellites into their predetermined orbits.
•  Satellite Status : All satellites are in normal condition and have successfully entered their designated orbits.
•  Launch result : Mission a complete success146
• A milestone for the Long March series : This was the 648th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.
•  Constellation size update : The number of satellites in orbit in the Qianfan constellation has increased to 182.

2. Launching rocket: Long March 6A

The rocket’s key information includes:

• Research and development unit : The Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation was responsible for the overall research and development.

• Rocket configuration : A new generation of solid-liquid coupled medium-lift launch vehicle1814
• Carrying capacity :
  • The payload capacity to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers is no less than 4.5 tons.

• • The payload capacity to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers is no less than 6.5 tons.

•  
• Launch adaptability : It can meet diverse and dense launch requirements such as single-satellite, multi-satellite tandem, parallel, stacked, wall-mounted, and mounted launches.

• Launch services : The launch services for the Qianfan Polar Orbit 11 satellite constellation were provided by China Great Wall Industry Corporation, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, as the general contractor

3. Current Status of Qianfan Constellation Network

The Qianfan constellation has recently entered a period of intensive launches, with the following specific batches:

batch	Launch date	Networked satellites	launch vehicle	launch site
Group 11	June 4, 2026	Qianfan Polar Orbit 11 Satellites	Long March 6A	Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
Group 10	June 1, 2026	Qianfan Polar Orbit 08 Satellite Group	Long March 12B	Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone
Group 9	May 17, 2026	The 9th batch of Qianfan constellation networking satellites	Long March 8	Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site
Group 7	April 7, 2026	The seventh batch of Qianfan constellation networking satellites	Long March 8	Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site
Summary of network deployment progress :

• Since April 2026, the Qianfan constellation has completed the deployment of its 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th satellite groups in just two months, significantly accelerating the network deployment speed.
• On June 1, the Long March 12B carrier rocket successfully completed its maiden flight at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone, becoming another main rocket for the Qianfan constellation network.

• The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone, and other launch sites have all undertaken the Qianfan constellation launch missions.

4. Focus of Public Attention

This launch has attracted widespread attention, with key focuses including:

• The “Chinese version of Starlink” is taking shape rapidly : The media generally regards the Qianfan constellation as the Chinese version of “Starlink”, and many media outlets have reported on it with the “accelerated formation of the network” as the core, highlighting the speed of satellite internet construction.

• The spectacular aerial spectacle resonated with many : a photographer captured the image of the Long March 6A rocket soaring through the twilight, trailing a red and white rocket cloud, which was described as “a romance unique to us.” Some netizens also shared their experiences of witnessing the rocket’s launch contrail.

• Nationwide praise for space achievements : CCTV News, People’s Daily Online, China Aerospace News and many other authoritative media outlets have reported on the achievements, and the topics “#ThumbsUpForChinaAerospace#” and “#ChinaSuccessfullyLaunchesThousandSailsPolarOrbiting11GroupSatellites#” have become hot topics of discussion online.

•  Public sentiment is positive and diverse : Based on the public opinion reactions after previous launches, the mainstream views of netizens include: feeling proud of the successful launch, looking forward to accelerating the deployment to achieve global coverage, believing that commercial space launch capabilities have matured, supporting the construction of an independent and controllable space broadband network, and feeling grateful for the strong national power that safeguards peaceful life.

Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned Space CNSA-China National Space Administration

On CNSA –China National Space Administration    …. ChangZheng  Long March 12B Reusable Carrier r flight rocket …. Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter, Inner Mongolia, China, People’s Republic of China  First Flight a Success! Long March 12B Rocket Successfully Launches the 10th Batch of Qianfan Constellation Satellites] At 16:40 on June 1st, the Long March 12B carrier rocket ignited and lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone, subsequently sending the 10th batch of Qianfan constellation satellites into their predetermined orbits. The maiden flight was a complete success. This adds another high-capacity commercial rocket to China’s large-scale internet constellation networking mission.

The Long March 12B rocket was developed by China Commercial Rocket Company, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
This launch was the 647th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets. (

🚀 Key Achievements of the Maiden Flight Mission

• Launch time and payload : At 16:40 Beijing time on June 1, 2026, the Long March 12B rocket was launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone, successfully sending the tenth batch of Qianfan constellation networking satellites (officially referred to as “Qianfan Polar Orbit 08 Group Satellites”) into their predetermined orbits. The maiden flight achieved “double success in launch and orbit insertion”
• The main body and cycle of development : The development was led by China Commercial Rocket Company (CCOM), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It took only 21 months from blueprint design to the first flight , setting a record for the speed of development of medium and large rockets in China.
• Historical significance : This mission marks the 647th launch of the Long March series carrier rockets , signifying that China’s commercial space program has officially entered a new stage of large-capacity, high-density network deployment.

⚙️ Technological Breakthrough of the 20-Ton “Capacity Champion”

• Powertrain :
  • It uses liquid oxygen and kerosene propellant . The first stage is equipped with nine YF-102R engines with a thrust of 100 tons each (90 tons at sea level, supporting variable thrust at depths of 50% to 105%), and the second stage is equipped with one YF-102RV vacuum engine (710 kN vacuum thrust), with a takeoff thrust of 800 tons.
  • By integrating nine engines into a large-diameter common-bottom tank and an integrated tail section design , the rocket body achieves systematic “weight reduction and slimming,” thereby improving carrying efficiency.
• Intelligent control :
  • Equipped with dual flight control computer systems (one for primary and one for secondary flight control), it has fault diagnosis and reconfiguration capabilities, and can monitor the status of nine engines in milliseconds and automatically “coordinate and compensate”
  • For the first time, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) technology was applied to achieve microsecond-level synchronous transmission of more than 8,000 parameters across the entire rocket.

• Recycling Design :
  • Although the rocket was not actually recovered during its maiden flight, it has been equipped with four grid fins, four landing legs, and an attitude control system , which provides a foundation for technical verification in subsequent vertical recovery tests

🏭 “Archery range integration” creates a closed business loop

• Self-developed launch pad : The mission utilizes China’s first self-built test and development pad for commercial rockets , capable of supporting the launch of 1,000-ton thrust rockets and achieving compatibility and rapid recovery capability with multiple propellants such as liquid oxygen and kerosene
• Low-cost strategy : Innovative application of mature products such as automotive-grade components and industrial-grade flexible cable networks reduces the weight of cable networks by 30% to 40% , significantly reducing manufacturing costs.3140

🔮 Reusable technology verification and follow-up plans

• Step-by-step iterative path : The maiden flight focuses on verifying the reliability of orbit insertion. Subsequently, a vertical recovery test of the first stage will be carried out at an opportune time, with a target of ≥10 recovery and reuse times and a near-ground carrying capacity of approximately 12 tons in the recovery mode.
• Market positioning : Targeting China’s low-Earth orbit constellation networking needs (such as the “China Star Network” plan of 12,000 satellites), it supports large-scale constellation deployment with high-frequency and low-cost launches , and the cost per launch is expected to be more than 40% lower than that of traditional rockets.

The successful maiden flight marks China, People’s republic of China  entry into the field of heavy-lift launch vehicles for commercial rockets. Subsequent breakthroughs in recovery technology and routine launch capabilities will become key variables in breaking the bottleneck of “many satellites but few rockets” and reshaping the global commercial launch landscape…

Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration

On 1st June 2026 launch  CNSA _China National Space Administration China, People’s Republic of China 34th Launch This Year] At 2:07 AM on May 31, 2026, a Long March-2D carrier rocket successfully launched a satellite internet technology test satellite into its predetermined orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, marking a complete success for the mission. The satellite internet technology test satellite is primarily used for testing and verifying technologies such as direct satellite broadband connections for mobile phones and the integration of space and ground networks. This launch was the 646th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

📅 Mission Core Overview

This launch mission marked the 646th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets and the 105th launch of the Long March 2D carrier rocket. The mission details demonstrated an extremely high level of engineering maturity and launch frequency.

• Launch details : At 02:07 Beijing time on May 31, 2026, the Long March 2D carrier rocket was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and successfully sent the satellite into its predetermined orbit
• Launch vehicle : The Long March 2D rocket, developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, is a room-temperature liquid two-stage launch vehicle capable of launching single or multiple satellites under different orbital requirements. This mission employed a point-stacking separation mechanism and a large 4.2-meter diameter space fairing, with a payload capacity of 1.3 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
• Payload Layout : This mission adopted a “one rocket, four satellites” launch method. The four experimental satellites were jointly developed by commercial aerospace companies such as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, and LandSpace. Among them, StarLink provided broadband communication base stations and narrowband IoT payloads for two satellites, realizing on-orbit verification of “broadband and narrowband dual-mode”

📡 Breakthrough and Validation of Core Technologies

This is not an ordinary communication test, but a crucial deep-water verification of satellite internet’s transition from “conceptual networking” to “consumer-grade applications,” focusing on two core technologies

• Direct satellite broadband connection for mobile phones : This technology aims to verify that ordinary smartphones can directly connect to satellites and access broadband internet without any special modifications or external satellite dish antennas. This technology overcomes the limitations of previous satellite communications, which were only used for low-speed emergency text messages or narrowband voice calls, and aims to achieve a broadband communication experience with downlink speeds exceeding 100Mbps
• Seamless Integration of Space-Ground Networks : The focus is on testing the intelligent switching and deep integration of space-based networks with terrestrial 5G/6G networks. By overcoming challenges such as high latency and unstable signals in space-to-ground links, the test ensures seamless cooperation between the satellite network in space and the vast ground communication network, enabling users to experience a “seamless” connection when switching between different networks.

🌍 Business Prospects and Applications in People’s Livelihoods

The successful launch of the experimental satellite lays a solid foundation for building a seamless global integrated network covering air, space, land, and sea.

• Eliminating communication blind spots : Traditional terrestrial base stations can only cover a small portion of the global land area, while satellite internet will fill communication dead zones in oceans, deserts, mountains, and remote areas. In scenarios such as disaster relief, ocean shipping, and in-flight internet, satellite networks will gradually transform from a “backup plan” into a reliable communication guarantee.6
• Supporting the “Space-Based Foundation” of 6G : Satellite internet is a crucial component of future 6G networks. This trial verified the interoperability of satellite-based base stations with the existing 5G core network, paving the way for the realization of an integrated space-air-ground network for 6G commercialization around 2030.
• Commercialization Timeline and Pricing : Industry forecasts predict that with the accumulation of trial data and the advancement of satellite constellation deployment, ordinary consumers can expect to experience high-speed internet access via direct satellite connection from their mobile phones as early as the end of 2026 to the beginning of 2027. As the scale expands, basic package pricing is expected to further decrease, potentially down to around 199 yuan per year, with data traffic unit prices kept at a low level.
•  

🚀 Industrial Chain Resonance and Strategic Significance

This launch is not only a technological breakthrough, but also directly catalyzes the resonance of the trillion-dollar commercial aerospace industry chain and accelerates the strategic layout of the national satellite constellation.

• The entire industry chain will benefit : the advancement of technology verification directly paves the way for commercialization expectations. Upstream products such as spaceborne phased array antennas and communication RF chips (such as T/R components), midstream products such as mobile phone direct connection baseband chips, and downstream products such as ground gateway station construction and operation services will all see broader market opportunities.68
• Accelerating the Deployment of Mega-Constellations : This launch marks a crucial milestone in the high-frequency networking of national and commercial constellations such as the “GW Constellation” (China Star Network) and the “Qianfan Constellation” (G60 Starlink). The data acquired by the experimental satellite will provide critical support for the deployment of hundreds or even thousands of subsequent networking satellites, propelling China’s low-Earth orbit satellite internet towards large-scale, industrialized production.

Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned Space CNSA-China National Space Administration