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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.

At 08:15 on November 3, 2026 Beijing Time, the Lijian -2 Y2 carrier rocket from Zhongke Aerospace ignited and lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone Inner Mongolia, China, People’s Republic of China., successfully sending 18 satellites in the Qianfan Polar Orbiter Group 21 into their predetermined orbits. The flight test mission was a complete success. To date, the LiJian-2 carrier rocket has carried a total payload exceeding 9 tons into orbit. The LiJian series of carrier rockets has successfully launched 1 spacecraft and 139 satellites…

Flames soared into the sky, another piece of good news arrived!  A stunning montage of highlights from the launch of the Lijian -2 Y2 carrier rocket has been released online, showing 18 satellites being steadily lifted into space, adding another piece to China’s satellite internet network!

At 8:15 a.m. today, the Long March 2C carrier rocket was successfully launched, carrying out its first large-scale satellite internet network deployment mission, sending 18 Qianfan constellation satellites into orbit. This marks the official transition of this type of rocket from the verification phase to mass commercial delivery.

 

 

I. Task Overview

• Launch information : At 8:15 a.m. on November 3, 2026, the rocket was launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone, and the flight test mission was a complete success.
• Payload details : The Qianfan Polar Orbit 21 group, consisting of 18 satellites, was successfully launched into its predetermined orbit at an altitude of approximately 800 kilometers
• Mission nature : This is the second flight of the Lijian-2 carrier rocket, and also the first time that this model has carried out a large-scale satellite internet network deployment launch mission, transitioning from the first flight verification to actual network deployment and delivery.

II. Key Core Technologies

• The “One Rocket, Eighteen Satellites Separation” technology is the first to utilize a novel multi-satellite rocket separation and unlocking device. Eighteen satellites are stacked together and share a single unlocking mechanism, separating by inertial rotation after a single unlock. The research team likened it to “throwing 18 hammers at once,” replacing the traditional method of launching satellites one by one, resulting in fewer mechanisms, lighter weight, and higher efficiency.
• Precise orbit insertion scheme : In the face of long glide conditions, the second stage of the rocket adopts a two-ignition scheme to correct the trajectory at the end of the orbit; at the same time, through a batch and precise separation strategy, the relative time and speed of the satellites are controlled to ensure that the satellites disperse in an orderly manner without interfering with each other.

III. Strategy and Delivery Capabilities

• The network deployment speed is accelerating : After this launch, the number of Qianfan constellation satellites in orbit has reached 274, which is only 50 satellites away from the first phase network target of 324 satellites by the end of the year.
• Mass launch capability : The Lijian-2 rocket adopts a full-rocket rolling backup production mode, compressing the test and launch cycle to within 15 days. It has the capability to support high-density, high-frequency constellation networking launches and will carry out multiple networking missions in 2027

IMAGES AND VISUALS ARE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVES.

Zhongke Satellite generally refers to Zhongke Satellite Technology Group Co., Ltd. , a commercial aerospace company established in December 2020. It is promoting the construction of an independent SAR remote sensing constellation . Headquartered in Jinan, Shandong province, China, People’s Republic of China, , it is one of the carriers for the transformation of technological achievements of the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[CAS Satellite’s AIRSAT-12 (Tianhe-02) and AIRSAT-13 (Beibu Gulf-3) satellites depart for Taiyuan, scheduled for launch in late November!] On October 30th, a factory acceptance review meeting for the AIRSAT-12 (Tianhe-02) and AIRSAT-13 (Beibu Gulf-3) satellites, manufactured by CAS Satellite Technology Group Co., Ltd., was held in Shanghai. Experts at the meeting unanimously agreed that all test indicators for the two satellites met the overall design requirements and satisfied the conditions for delivery. Both
satellites are X-band two-dimensional scanning…

Basic Information

• The registered capital is approximately RMB 199 million, and the legal representative is Liu Jianbo. It was formerly known as Zhongke Satellite (Shandong) Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• It has formed a “dual-base” layout with its headquarters in Jinan and its base in Hefei, and has branches in Jinan, Hefei, Beijing and other cities, and has invested in many subsidiaries.
• In 2024, it completed a Series A financing of over 500 million yuan, and in 2025, it completed a Series B financing of tens of millions of yuan.

Business direction

• The core is commercial remote sensing: covering the development of spaceborne SAR payloads, satellite design, AIRSAT constellation operation and aerospace data services, providing SAR remote sensing data support for fields such as natural resources, agriculture and rural areas, emergency disaster prevention, water conservancy, and urban planning.
• The first phase of the AIRSAT commercial remote sensing satellite constellation aims to have 21 satellites in orbit by 2026.
• In January 2026, the AIRSAT-02 satellite completed a trial of 120Gbps ultra-high-speed satellite-to-ground laser communication for commercial application.

Recent Developments

• On August 25, 2026, the Zhongke Satellite 14 and 15 were successfully launched by a Long March 6C rocket. Both are SAR satellites and will be interconnected after entering orbit to build an aerospace information platform.
• On October 30, 2026, AIRSAT-12 (Tianhe-02) and AIRSAT-13 (Beibu Gulf-3) passed factory acceptance testing and are scheduled to launch from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in late November. Both satellites are X-band phased array SAR satellites with a maximum resolution better than 1 meter. Each satellite carries over 200 TOPS of onboard computing power, enabling on-orbit pre-processing and intelligent interpretation of SAR images.
• In September 2026, it signed an agreement with the Shaanxi Provincial Aerospace Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center to participate in the development of my country’s first commercial aerospace breeding satellite; in the same month, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with seven parties to establish a space-based service center for ASEAN.
• In October 2026, the “Space Computing Power Trading Platform” was launched as one of the first batch of companies to settle in the Beijing Space Computing Power Innovation Center.

It should be noted that “Zhongke Satellite” and “Zhongke Aerospace” (the developer of the Lijian series rockets) are two different companies. The former focuses on satellite development and remote sensing data services, while the latter focuses on launch vehicles. They can be easily confused when searching for information.

IMAGES AND VISUALS ARE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVES.

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.

 

Today On the 28^th October 2026, China’s independently developed LiJian-2 Y2 carrier rocket was transferred to its dedicated launch pad at the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone, entering a critical pre-launch preparation phase. Launch is scheduled for the near future.

 

I. Key Nodes After Transshipment

• Current progress : The rocket has completed all assembly and testing at the launch site and has entered the critical pre-launch preparation phase.
• Next steps : A full-process drill of the rocket-ground interface will be conducted, followed by rocket propellant loading and the final launch procedure.
• Launch time : The launch is scheduled for 8:00-9:00 on November 3rd from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone. The actual time is subject to the mission schedule.

II. First time undertaking constellation networking launch

• One rocket launch, 18 satellites : This mission will be the first to carry out a large-scale low-Earth orbit constellation launch using the “one rocket launch, 18 satellites” method.
• Payload : 18 Qianfan constellation satellites, which are designed for satellite broadband communications. This launch will further expand the constellation’s satellite lineup in orbit.
• Background of the bid : Lijian-2 has won the bid for the procurement project of launching 18 satellites in one rocket for the Shanghai Yuanxin Qianfan constellation.

III. Model Capabilities and First Flight Basis

• CBC configuration : China’s first rocket with a “universal booster core” configuration, where the core stage and boosters are identical in shape and can be assembled like building blocks. It has a payload capacity of 8 tons to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit and 12 tons to a 200 km low Earth orbit.

• Successful maiden flight : The Y1 rocket successfully completed its maiden flight on March 30th this year, accurately placing a 4.2-ton payload into orbit with three satellites in one launch.
• Shorter cycle : The assembly and testing cycle of Y2 has been steadily shortened compared to the first flight, moving towards the goal of standardized and mass production and launch.

IMAGES AND VISUALS ARE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVES.

On CNSA –China National Space Administration    …. ChangZheng  Long March 8A Carrier flight rocket …. At Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China At 10:03 Beijing time on October 25, 2026, the Long March 8A Y12 carrier rocket was launched from Launch Pad No. 1, a dedicated launch pad for the Long March 8 series, at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The rocket will then send 28 low-Earth orbit satellites for satellite internet into their predetermined low-Earth orbit.

The first launch mission of the Long March 8A rocket in the new phase!

The China Satellite Internet (SSI) low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation comprises 28 satellites, including 9 LEO communication satellites, developed by the Communication and Navigation Satellite Department of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). This mission marks the 11th batch launch of SSI LEO satellites in 2026, and the 28th batch launch in total. With this launch, the total number of SSI LEO satellites launched in 2026 will reach 95, bringing the total number of SSI LEO satellites launched to 231.

The Long March 8A is a medium-lift cryogenic liquid-fueled launch vehicle developed by the Commercial Rocket Company (CCR), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), with the First Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) undertaking the development. This rocket is a two-and-a-half-stage clustered launch vehicle. Its most notable feature is that its core second stage uses a 3.35-meter diameter universal hydrogen-oxygen final stage, enabling it to perform three ignitions. It can carry out multi-satellite launch missions into low Earth orbit, and the final stage can actively de-orbit and re-enter to reduce space debris. It also possesses considerable high-orbit and deep-space payload capacity.

As of this mission, the overall management unit for the Long March 8A carrier rocket has been changed from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) to China Commercial Launch Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. (CCLT). The project management has been transferred to CCLT, while CALT focuses on the rocket’s research, development, production, testing, and launch. This specialization allows for a dual improvement in the quality and efficiency of the Long March 8A’s research, development, production, management, and operation, representing a significant step towards achieving high-frequency launches.

The Long March 8A rocket is 50.539 meters tall (with a 5.2-meter diameter fairing), and its core stage has a diameter of 3.35 meters. It can be equipped with either a 4.2-meter or 5.2-meter diameter fairing. Its liftoff mass is approximately 371 tons, and its liftoff thrust is approximately 480 tons. The rocket has a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity of approximately 11 tons and a payload factor of approximately 3%. This particular rocket is equipped with a 5.2-meter diameter fairing.

This mission marks the 12th launch of the Long March 8A carrier rocket and the 11th launch mission for the China Satellite Network. Through these 11 launches, the Long March 8A has deployed 99 satellites for the China Satellite Network, making it the primary launch vehicle for the network’s deployment.

This mission marks the 6th launch of the Long March 8A carrier rocket in 2026, the 15th launch from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, the 76th launch for China, and the 251st launch worldwide. It is also the 674th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

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

At 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, At 3:25 AM on October 24th, a Long March-4B carrier rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, successfully sending the Yaogan-53 07-09 and Yaogan-56 19-21 satellites into their predetermined orbits. The launch mission was a complete success.

These satellites will be primarily used for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, agricultural yield estimation, and disaster prevention and mitigation.

This launch marked the 673rd launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

 

I. Core Information of the Launch Mission

• Time and location : 03:25 Beijing time on October 24, 2026, China will carry out the launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
• Launch vehicle : The Long March 4B launch vehicle successfully launched the Yaogan-53 07-09 and Yaogan-56 19-21 satellites into space.
• Orbit insertion result : The satellite successfully entered its predetermined orbit, and the launch mission was a complete success.
• Mission batch : This mission is the 673rd flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.

II. Main uses of the six satellites

• Scientific experiments : Remote sensing satellites 53-07-09 and 56-19-21 are used for scientific experiments.
• Land and Resources Census : Support land and resources census to obtain geographic and resource information.
• Agricultural product yield estimation : This service provides data support for agricultural statistics by facilitating agricultural product yield estimation.
• Disaster prevention and mitigation : Used for disaster prevention and mitigation, and to improve disaster monitoring and assessment capabilities.

III. Highlights of the Mission: Launching Six Satellites

• Launch method : This launch will use a single rocket to launch six satellites into their designated orbits.
• Good news from the space program : China’s space program will launch six satellites in 2026, with the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center carrying out the launch once again.
• Series of flights : The Long March series carrier rockets completed their 673rd flight, and the mission was a complete success

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