At 0746 Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 2nd July 2026 , China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration   Successfully launched  Chang Zheng – Long March 4B  Carrier Rocket ignited and took off at the酒泉衛星發射中心 Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Dongfeng Aerospace City – inner Mongolia –China – People’s Republic of China, Long March 4B Successfully Launches Haiyang-2E Satellite
At 7:46 AM on July 2nd, the Long March 4B carrier rocket ignited and lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, successfully sending the Haiyang-2E satellite into its predetermined orbit. The launch mission was a complete success.

The Haiyang-2E satellite was developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and will be primarily used for safeguarding maritime rights, disaster prevention and mitigation, marine resource development, and marine scientific research.

The Long March 4B rocket, which carried out this launch mission, is a three-stage, room-temperature liquid-propellant carrier rocket developed by the Eighth Academy of CASC.
This launch was the 654th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets. (
Photo: Shi Yue, Remote Sensing Satellite Department, Fifth Academy)

At 7:46 a.m. on July 2, 2026, the Long March 4B carrier rocket successfully sent the Haiyang-2E satellite into its predetermined orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This was the 654th flight of the Long March series rockets. The satellite will replace Haiyang-2B and form a network with Haiyang-2C and Haiyang-2D satellites to continuously provide high-precision marine dynamic environment data.

 

. Core Facts

1. Launch Overview

• Time: 07:46 on July 2, 2026
• Location: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center23
• Launch vehicle: Long March 4B (room-temperature liquid three-stage launch vehicle)3
• Satellite: Haiyang-2E satellite, developed under the overall leadership of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
•  Result: The satellite successfully entered its predetermined orbit, and the launch mission was a complete success.12
• This was the first time the rocket used a parallel fueling mode under high-temperature conditions.

2. Rocket and Satellite Parameters

project	Specific content
rocket model	Long March 4B (CZ-4B)
rocket development unit	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Eighth Academy
rocket carrying capacity	700 km sun-synchronous orbit, 2.5 tons
Satellite development unit	China Academy of Space Technology (CAST)
Satellite main payload	Radar altimeter, microwave scatterometer, microwave radiometer, calibrated radiometer

3. Task Statistics

• The 118th launch of the Long March 4 series rocket
• The 654th flight of the Long March series carrier rocket
• China’s 45th space launch in 2026 (as of July 2)

II. Direct Cause

1. Replacing satellites that have exceeded their service life

The Haiyang-2E satellite will replace the Haiyang-2B satellite, which was launched in 2018 and has exceeded its orbital lifespan, to maintain the continuous and stable operation of marine dynamic environment monitoring services.

2. Networking enhances observation capabilities

• E satellite, together with the already orbiting Haiyang-2C and Haiyang-2D satellites, forms a four-satellite constellation for marine dynamic environment satellites.
• Significantly reduce the revisit cycle of global ocean data, achieving an upgrade from “occasional monitoring” to “24/7 operational operation”

3. Improve the accuracy of near-shore observations

The satellite’s payload has been upgraded to significantly enhance its observation capabilities in nearshore waters, serving areas such as safeguarding maritime rights, disaster prevention and mitigation, and resource development

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深蓝航天  Deep Blue Limited – Deep Blue Aerospace  Landspace One of sixty Chinese private space Carrier Rocket Companies in China-People’s Republic of China…  As many of sixty plus Private Rocket Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. was established in 2017. The company is mainly a high-tech aerospace enterprise that focuses on the direction of liquid recovery and reusable launch vehicles and provides users with commercial launch services. Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. At the same time, the company has rocket general and liquid engine R&D centers in Yizhuang, Beijing and Xi’an, Shaanxi, respectively, and a rocket power system test base in Tongchuan, Shaanxi…..

On June 29, 2026, LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable Y2 launch vehicle successfully completed its static fire test at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone.

This test comprehensively verified the rocket system, launch site system, and their compatibility. All systems functioned normally, and the test data and results met expectations, verifying the correctness and coordination of the system’s operation and laying a solid foundation for subsequent flight missions. Currently, all key ground verification work before the launch of the Zhuque-3 reusable Y2 launch vehicle has been

completed. The test team will then carry out various launch preparations according to the established plan to ensure full readiness for the flight test mission.

The latest updates regarding the Zhuque-3 reusable Y2 carrier rocket (Zhuque-3 Y2) are as follows:
1. The static ignition test has been successfully completed.

• On June 29, 2026, the Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket successfully completed a static ignition test at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone.

• The test comprehensively verified the compatibility between the rocket and the launch site systems. All systems functioned normally, and the data met expectations, verifying the correctness and coordination of the system operation.
  2. All key pre-launch ground verifications have been completed.
• This test marks the completion of all key ground verification work before rocket launch. The test team will carry out subsequent launch preparations as planned to prepare for the flight test mission.
  3. Subsequent estimated launch time
• According to previous plans, the rocket is expected to launch in early July 2026 after completing erection and static fire.
  4. Background and Objectives
• Zhuque-3 is a reusable liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle independently developed by LandSpace, designed with the capability of vertical recovery and reuse of the first stage.
• Previously, during its maiden flight in December 2025, the second stage of the rocket successfully entered orbit, but the first stage experienced an anomaly during recovery, failing to achieve a soft landing. This Y2 mission aims to achieve China’s first successful recovery of the first stage of an orbital-class launch vehicle.
  5. Competitive Landscape
• The Zhuque-3 and Long March-10B are competing to become the first successfully recovered reusable liquid rocket

I. Key Facts: Static ignition test completed

• On June 29, 2026, LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket successfully completed a static ignition test with nine rockets in parallel at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone.
• This test comprehensively verified the rocket system, launch site system, and their compatibility. All systems functioned normally, and the test data and results met expectations.
• At this point, all key ground verification work prior to the launch of Zhuque-3 Y2 has been completed.

 

II. Direct cause: To conduct final ground verification for flight testing.

• The core purpose of static ignition testing is to verify the correctness and coordination of the test and control process, fuel lines, electrical interfaces, and engine ignition and shutdown under real launch conditions.
• This test is the last ground obstacle before the rocket is transferred to the launch site. Only after the test is passed can the subsequent launch preparation process, such as review in the return technology area, secondary transfer, and installation of the fairing, begin.

III. Key Background: Failure of the first flight recovery and improvements in the second flight

• On December 3, 2025, the Zhuque-3 Y1 rocket successfully entered orbit, but the first stage failed to achieve a soft landing at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above the ground in the recovery section due to an abnormality in the fuel pipeline seal and strong crosswind interference, and landed on the edge of the landing site.

• The Y2 rocket completed a technical reset to address the fault, focusing on strengthening the heat protection capabilities of the first-stage tail section and the sealing of the fuel pipeline, and optimizing the reentry control algorithm to improve landing stability.

Images and visuals are from their respectives

10th Anniversary of the Maiden Flight of the New Generation Medium-lift Rocket Long March 7!

At 20:00 on June 25, 2016, the Long March-7 Y1 carrier rocket/Yuanzheng-1A upper stage was launched from Launch Complex 2 at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, People’s Republic of China , subsequently sending multiple payloads, including a scaled-down return capsule of a multi-purpose spacecraft, into low Earth orbit. This mission marked the first launch from the Wenchang Launch Site and the maiden flight of the Long March-7 carrier rocket. The Long March-7 will celebrate its 10th anniversary of its maiden flight on June 25, 2026.

Early members of the Long March 5 series

The Long March 7 is a medium-sized version of the Long March 5 series of carrier rockets, which was originally planned as part of China’s new generation of Long March carrier rockets. Its booster stage, core stage, and core stage use the original Long March 5 series’ 2.25-meter diameter liquid oxygen/kerosene module, 3.35-meter diameter liquid oxygen/kerosene module, and 3.35-meter diameter core stage liquid oxygen/kerosene module, respectively, corresponding to the original Long March 5 series’ medium-sized two-and-a-half-stage carrier rocket.

Due to planning adjustments, the Long March 7 and Long March 6 were separated from the initial Long March 5 series rockets, forming separate medium and small models, and embarking on an independent development path.

Former manned rockets

The Long March 7 rocket was initially designed as a kerosene-fueled version of the Long March 2F (CZ-2F/H), retaining the same diameter rocket body for each stage, but replacing all main engines with liquid oxygen-kerosene engines. It was originally planned for launches of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft and the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, but was later repurposed for cargo spacecraft launches.

The Long March 7 adopts a two-and-a-half-stage configuration. The booster stage uses four 2.25-meter diameter boosters, each equipped with one single-pendulum YF-100 liquid oxygen-kerosene engine; the core stage has a diameter of 3.35 meters and is equipped with two double-pendulum YF-100 engines; the core stage has a diameter of 3.35 meters and is equipped with four YF-115 engines (two double-pendulum and two non-pendulum); the fairing is the same 4.2-meter diameter fairing as the Long March 2FT.

The Long March 7 rocket is 53.075 meters tall, has a takeoff mass of about 597 tons, a takeoff thrust of 727 tons, a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity of about 14 tons, a payload factor of about 2.35%, and a 700-kilometer circular sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) payload capacity of 5.5 tons.

Built to manned rocket standards, the Long March 7 boasts a reliability index of 0.98, necessitating a highly redundant design with multiple backups for critical equipment such as the flight control computer. These features significantly increase the rocket’s weight. Furthermore, to adapt to the windy and rainy conditions at the Wenchang launch site, the Long March 7 incorporates specific design features. The entire rocket is waterproof, enabling launches in moderate rain; its wind resistance has been enhanced, allowing for transport in winds up to force 8 and launches in winds expected only once every ten years. These additional design features to adapt to weather conditions have also contributed to the rocket’s overall weight.

The Long March 7 rocket achieved a reliability of 0.9871, contributing to the successful completion of 11 launches over 10 years. However, its high redundancy and wind/water resistant design resulted in a relatively large rocket weight, leading to a lower payload coefficient. Among the new generation of Long March launch vehicles, the Long March 7’s near-Earth payload coefficient of 2.35% is considered low.

The basic model of the new generation Long March rocket

The Long March 7 is the first medium-lift rocket and maiden flight model of the new generation of Long March carrier rockets. It was developed using the design concept of “modularization, combination and serialization” and different mission models were derived according to mission requirements.

The Long March 7A is a high-orbit rocket. Based on the Long March 7, it features a 3-meter diameter hydrogen-oxygen final stage (core stage) and undergoes adaptive modifications. This rocket corresponds to the original Long March 5 series, a medium-lift high-orbit launch vehicle with a three-and-a-half-stage configuration and a hydrogen-oxygen final stage. It is primarily used for medium-to-high Earth orbit launch missions and is planned to replace the previous generation of high-orbit dedicated launch vehicle, the Long March 3B.

The Long March 8 series is a dedicated launch vehicle for low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations. Based on the Long March 7’s launch stage, the pair of diagonally opposite boosters are removed, and a 3-meter diameter hydrogen-oxygen final stage is added, forming the basic Long March 8 configuration with two boosters and two and a half stages. Removing the two boosters from the basic Long March 8 configuration results in the Long March 8 single-core stage configuration. Replacing the final stage with a 3.35-meter diameter hydrogen-oxygen final stage (core two-stage) on the basic Long March 8 configuration creates the Long March 8A. The Long March 8 series is primarily used for launch missions such as LEO constellation networking.

In the new generation of Long March rockets, the Long March 7 is the technological foundation for the development of the Long March 7 and Long March 8 series, supporting the development of five rocket models in the two series. It is a true basic model of the new generation of Long March rockets.

The Long March 10A will take over from the Long March 7 in launching the Tianzhou spacecraft.

Currently, the Long March 7 rocket is mainly used for launching the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, serving as the dedicated cargo train for the Tiangong space station. As the Tiangong space station enters a phase of routine operation, cost reduction and efficiency improvement have become more prominent. As a expendable launch vehicle, the Long March 7, while highly reliable and accurate in orbital insertion, is not cost-effective. To reduce cargo launch costs, alternative solutions are needed, and using reusable rockets is one of the best options.

The Long March 10 series includes two manned spaceflight models with four configurations. The Long March 10A cargo configuration is used to launch the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft. The Long March 10A cargo configuration employs a two-stage tandem configuration, with the first stage supporting multiple recoveries and reuses. This rocket is 66.4 meters high, 5 meters in diameter, and has a launch mass of approximately 750 tons. In its single-use state, its low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity is around 20 tons; with the first stage recovered, its LEO payload capacity is no less than 14.2 tons. In its recovered state, the Long March 10A cargo version can meet the full-load launch requirements of the Tianzhou spacecraft, and its launch cost is lower, making it a potential replacement for the Long March 7. The Long March 7, however, will need to find alternative deployment methods.

Conclusion

The Long March 7, initially designed for manned launches and later used for cargo launches, will be replaced by the Long March 10A cargo version, its role constantly evolving. As the basic model of the new generation of Long March rockets, by sharing the core stage and boosters, and with the increasing launch frequency of the Long March 7A and Long March 8 series, the launch cost of the Long March 7 rocket will be further reduced. When the Long March 7 retires from manned space missions, through simplified configuration and weight reduction, its carrying capacity and efficiency can be significantly improved, while reducing the launch cost per unit mass, making it a launch vehicle with greater carrying capacity, lower cost, and sufficient reliability.

Designed for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions, the Long March 7 offers significant sun-synchronous orbit and low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity, supporting the mass deployment of LEO constellations and the launch of large LEO remote sensing satellites. This will effectively cover the launch needs of military, civilian, and commercial satellites in the LEO range. Therefore, even if its role changes in the coming years, the Long March 7 will remain one of China’s main launch vehicle models, providing high-quality launch services at a reasonable cost.

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

Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.

The LiJian-1 Y15 carrier rocket successfully rolled off the production line and is scheduled to launch five satellites in one go at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone in the near future

The Lijian-1 Y15 carrier rocket successfully rolled off the production line, once again breaking the model’s delivery record. Just two days after the successful completion of the Lijian-1 Y14 carrier rocket’s “one rocket, eight satellites” launch mission on June 15th, the rocket achieved an efficient continuity between mission completion and new rocket delivery. Currently, the Lijian-1 has achieved a high-density operational rhythm of “monthly rocket delivery and monthly launch,” fully demonstrating that this model possesses mature operational capabilities for batch storage, rolling backup, and rapid launch. Relying on the production base’s pulsed assembly line efficiency model and a complete, self-controlled system encompassing R&D, testing, production, and launch, the Lijian-1’s strength in high-density, low-cost, and rapid-response large-scale delivery continues to be solidified.

The Lijian-1 Y15 carrier rocket completed its final assembly and testing at the Zhongke Aerospace Industrialization Base on June 17, 2026, and successfully passed its factory acceptance review. It is scheduled to launch five satellites in one go at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone in the near future . This delivery comes just two days after the successful launch of eight satellites with the Lijian-1 Y14 rocket on June 15, setting a new delivery record and marking the rocket’s achievement of a high-density operational rhythm of ” monthly rocket delivery and monthly launch .” As China’s most powerful privately-developed solid-propellant carrier rocket currently in service, the Lijian-1 has a payload capacity of 1.5 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit and 2 tons to a low Earth orbit. It adopts a four-stage solid-propellant configuration, is 30 meters long, and has a takeoff weight of 135 tons, boasting advantages such as rapid response, high reliability, and low cost. Its efficient delivery is attributed to its pulsed assembly line production model and a fully self-reliant and controllable supply chain system. According to the plan, while maintaining routine land-based launches, the Lijian-1 will also conduct two sea-based launches in the second half of the year, further expanding its launch flexibility.

I. Core Facts

1. Rocket Status

The Long March 1-1 Y15 carrier rocket successfully completed its final assembly and testing at the CAS Aerospace Industrialization Base on June 17, 2026, and passed the factory acceptance

2. Launch Arrangement

The launch mission is scheduled to take place in the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone in the near future, using a “one rocket, five satellites” approach.

II. Direct Cause

1. High-density delivery schedule

The delivery of this rocket came just two days after the successful completion of the “one rocket, eight satellites” launch mission of the Lijian-1 Y14 carrier rocket on June 15, achieving an efficient continuity between the completion of the launch mission and the delivery of the new rocket, once again setting a new record for the model’s delivery.

2. Supported by mature operational capabilities

The Lijian-1 rocket has achieved a high-density operational rhythm of “monthly rocket production and monthly launch,” fully demonstrating that this model has mature operational capabilities for batch storage, rolling backup, and rapid launch.

3. Production base support

Relying on the pulsed, automated, and highly efficient production model of the CAS Aerospace Industrialization Base, as well as the complete, self-controlled system encompassing R&D, testing, production, and launch, a hardware foundation has been provided for the rapid delivery of rockets

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