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At 11:02 AM Beijing time on August 17, Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 30^th July 2026 , China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration   At 11:02 AM Beijing time on August 17, 2026, China successfully launched the UAE SEO satellite into its predetermined orbit using a Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success. This mission marked the 664th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.

This project is dedicated to developing cutting-edge aerospace technology and is crucial for achieving sustainable development in aerospace technology …

At 11:02 AM on August 17, 2026, my country successfully launched the SEO satellite into its predetermined orbit using a Long March 2C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success.

Key information about the mission:

• Launch time : 11:02 AM Beijing time on August 17, 20262
• Launch site : Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center1
• Launch vehicle : Long March 2C launch vehicle; this was the 664th flight mission of the Long March series of launch vehicles.4
• Satellite Ownership : UAE SEO Satellite519

Satellite Purpose : The SEO satellite is primarily used to acquire and analyze data related to ecological environmental protection and natural resource management, enhancing planning capabilities and improving decision-making efficiency. This launch is also a significant achievement of China-Arab space cooperation, aiming to promote the application of cutting-edge space technologies in sustainable scenarios.

As of this launch, China’s space program has completed its 58th launch mission in 2026, maintaining a success rate of over 93%. The Long March 2C rocket, as my country’s longest-serving rocket, possesses the capability to launch one or more satellites at once and to deploy constellations, demonstrating strong mission adaptability

At 11:02 a.m. today, my country successfully launched an SEO satellite into orbit using a Long March 2C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. This satellite does not belong to China but is an Earth observation satellite launched for the United Arab Emirates. It returned to the launch site only 7 days after its previous mission failed.

I. Core Parameters of Launch Mission

• Time and Location : 11:02 AM, August 17, 2026, Launch Pad 9, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

• Launch vehicle : Long March 2C launch vehicle, approximately 40 meters long, with a takeoff mass of approximately 242.5 tons and a near-Earth payload capacity of approximately 4600 kg.
• Mission number : 664th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets, 88th launch of the Long March 2C.
• Launch result : The satellite successfully entered its predetermined orbit, and the mission was a complete success

II. Satellite Identity and Purpose

• Satellite Name : SEO Satellite (Satellite for Earth Observation), i.e., Earth observation satellite
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• Owned by : UAE, this is an innovative achievement of China-UAE space cooperation.
•  Main tasks : To acquire and analyze data in areas such as ecological environment protection and natural resource management, and to improve planning capabilities and decision-making efficiency.

III. The Special Significance of the Task

• Rapidly Restored Launch Capability : Just seven days after the failed launch of the Zhongxing-4b satellite by the Long March 7A carrier rocket on August 10, China’s space program returned to the launch site and succeeded in the fastest possible time.
• Internationalization of Commercial Spaceflight : Providing a successful case study for Chinese commercial rockets to secure international orders and expand into overseas launch markets.
• The Long March 2C rocket has achieved another remarkable feat : Having made its maiden flight in 1982, it is China’s longest-serving rocket currently in service. Awarded the “Gold Medal Rocket” title in 1999, it continues to maintain a high success rate.

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 12 flight rocket …. At Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China ….At 12:10 on August 16, 2026, the Long March 12 Y8 carrier rocket successfully sent 24 satellites for the satellite internet into their predetermined orbit from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, marking another acceleration in the networking of my country’s low-Earth orbit constellation

At 12:10 PM on August 16, the Long March 12 carrier rocket ignited and lifted off from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, successfully sending 24 low-Earth orbit satellites for satellite internet into their predetermined orbits. The launch mission was a complete success.

The 24 low-Earth orbit satellites were developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). CASC’s China Commercial Rocket Company provided launch services as the general contractor. The Long March 12 rocket was developed by the Eighth Academy of CASC.
This launch was the 663rd launch of the Long March series of carrier rocket

 

 

I. Launch Mission Overview

• Launch time : 12:10 PM Beijing time on August 16, 2026.
• Launch site : Launch pad number 2 at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site.4
• Payload : 24 low-Earth orbit satellites for satellite internet, developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, with launch services provided by China Commercial Launch.
• Flight record : This mission was the 663rd flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.4

II. Core Performance of the Rocket

• Rocket configuration : China’s first 3.8-meter diameter, 4-meter class single-core liquid-fueled launch vehicle, two-stage configuration, with a total length of about 62.6 meters and a takeoff weight of 430 tons.
• Carrying capacity : The carrying capacity to low Earth orbit is not less than 12 tons, and the carrying capacity to 700 km sun-synchronous orbit is not less than 6 tons.
• Launch and test mode : The “three-horizontal” mode of horizontal assembly, horizontal testing and horizontal transportation is adopted, which greatly improves launch efficiency.

III. Strategic Significance of Network Deployment

• Constellation construction : Accelerate the backbone network construction process of China’s low-Earth orbit satellite internet constellations (such as Qianfan and GW constellations) to provide support for subsequent large-scale commercial use..
• Commercial closed loop : Relying on Hainan Commercial Launch, a closed loop of the entire commercial aerospace industry chain has been completed, encompassing satellite and rocket manufacturing, commercial launch site testing and launch, and satellite data application services.

On CNSA –China National Space Administration    …. ChangZheng  Long March 12 flight rocket …. At Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China ….Long March 12 Y8 is in position! Launch scheduled for August 16th! On August 13th, 2026, the Long March 12 Y8 carrier rocket was successfully transported to Launch Complex 2 at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, and is scheduled for launch on August 16th.

At 18:00 on August 13, 2026, the Long March 12 carrier rocket completed its transfer and is scheduled for launch at launch pad 2 of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site.

As China’s first 3.8-meter diameter single-core liquid-fueled carrier rocket, it has a low-Earth orbit payload capacity of 12 tons. Utilizing the “three-level” rapid launch and testing mode of launch pad 2, it can support the high-frequency network launch needs of domestic commercial spaceflight, further accelerating the deployment of satellite constellation

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.

First Sea Launch! LiJian-1 Y17 Carrier Rocket Successfully Rolls Out of Factory… On August 13, 2026, the LiJian-1 Y17 carrier rocket successfully completed its final assembly and testing at the CAS Aerospace Industrialization Base and passed the factory acceptance review. It is scheduled to launch three satellites in one launch from the waters near Guangdong in the near future.

This mission marks the first sea launch for the LiJian-1 carrier rocket. Sea launches offer flexible launch site selection, adapting to the needs of low-inclination satellite launches, and boast advantages such as higher landing area safety and fewer launch window constraints. It effectively compensates for the limitations of land-based launch sites in terms of orbital coverage, further improving rocket carrying efficiency and mission adaptability. In the future, the LiJian-1 carrier rocket will establish a dual-track launch layout of “monthly scheduled land-based launches and dedicated sea-based launches,” fully responding to the differentiated launch needs of various customers for constellation networking and satellite replenishment .

First-ever sea launch! The Lijian-1 Y17 carrier rocket successfully completed its final assembly and testing at the CAS Space Industrialization Base and passed the factory acceptance review. It is scheduled to launch three satellites in one launch from the waters near Guangdong in the near future

The Lijian-1 Y17 carrier rocket completed its final assembly and testing at the CAS Space Industrialization Base on August 13, 2026, and successfully passed the factory acceptance review. It is scheduled to carry out a “one rocket, three satellites” launch mission in the waters near Guangdong in the near future . This will be the first time that the Lijian-1 carrier rocket has carried out a sea launch mission .

Mission Highlights

• Launch method : First sea launch, which allows for more flexible selection of launch sites compared to land launch, adapts to the needs of low-inclination satellites, and offers higher landing area safety and fewer launch window constraints.
• Number of satellites : 3 satellites in one launch.
• Subsequent deployment : The Lijian-1 will construct a dual-track parallel mode of “land-based monthly flight-based launch and sea-based mobile special launch” to meet the differentiated needs of constellation networking and satellite network replenishment.  
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• To date, the Lijian-1 series rockets have launched 15 times, successfully sending 110 satellites into space with a total payload mass exceeding 16 tons. It is the only domestically produced commercial rocket model to have launched more than 100 satellites.

IMAGES AND VISUALS ARE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVES.

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…..

The Zhuque-3 Y2 carrier rocket, developed by LandSpace, is a large, reusable liquid oxygen and methane rocket made of stainless steel. Originally scheduled for launch on the morning of August 11, 2026, from the Jiuquan Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone, its core mission is to insert the payload into orbit and attempt a vertical soft landing and recovery of its first stage on land. If successful, it will become China’s first privately developed liquid rocket to achieve orbital-stage, first-stage, land-based recovery.

The launch
was originally scheduled for August 11th, from 7:37 AM to 8:14 AM. However, the night before launch (around 8 PM on August 10th), the Long March 7A carrier rocket experienced a flight anomaly and mission failure during the launch of the Zhongxing-4B satellite from Wenchang. In accordance with China’s aerospace industry’s “learning from experience and applying it to other situations” quality management system, a risk assessment was required across the entire industry. The Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket was therefore postponed. Thunderstorms at the first-stage landing site (Minqin, Gansu) were also a contributing factor. Currently, the rocket remains standing at the launch pad, not yet moved back to the factory, and is in a standby state.

The latest launch window
is August 13, 2026, and LandSpace has not yet officially announced a new exact launch date. Multiple industry sources point to August 19 (Chinese Valentine’s Day) or August 31 as potential launch windows, but these are not official announcements. The exact time will depend on LandSpace’s official announcement and airspace control notices.

Mission Background and Highlights:
The Zhuque-3 Y1 rocket successfully entered orbit in December 2025, but failed to achieve a soft landing due to abnormal combustion at an altitude of approximately 4,000 meters during the recovery phase. The Y2 rocket addressed this issue by redesigning the technology, focusing on upgrades to thermal protection, flight control algorithms, grid fins, and the engine’s low-altitude restart strategy. The rocket is 76.6 meters long, has a liftoff thrust of approximately 900 tons, a low-Earth orbit payload capacity exceeding 20 tons, and its first stage is designed for at least 20 reuses. If this recovery is successful, LandSpace plans to attempt its first recoverable and reusable flight in the fourth quarter of 2026, establishing a commercial closed loop of “launch-recovery-re-flight

I. Task Delay and Latest Status

• Original plan : Zhuque-3 Y2 was originally scheduled to launch from 7:37 to 8:14 on August 11, 2026, at the 96B launch site of the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone of Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The first stage was planned to perform a vertical soft landing at the Minqin Land Recovery Site in Gansu, about 390 kilometers away from the launch site.
• Confirmed Postponement : On the morning of August 11, multiple sources confirmed that the launch mission had been postponed. The rocket remains at the launch pad and has not yet been moved back to the factory; it is in a standby state.

• Speculation on the new window : The official date has not yet been announced. Industry media and enthusiasts speculate that the window may point to August 19th or August 31st, but these are not official confirmations. The final date will depend on official announcements from LandSpace and airspace control notices.

II. Core Mission Objective: To achieve “orbit insertion + primary stage recovery”

• Verifying First-Stage Recovery : The core highlight of this mission is not orbital insertion, but the vertical recovery test of the first stage. If the recovery is successful, Zhuque-3 will become the first liquid rocket in China to achieve land recovery of the orbital-level first stage using landing legs, and LandSpace will become the first private company to successfully complete the entire chain of “launch-to-orbit + first-stage recovery”.4
• Lessons Learned and Improvements from the First Long-Range Rocket Launch: The first long-range rocket made its maiden flight in December 2025, successfully entering orbit. Its first stage completed the entire process from reentry and deceleration to attitude adjustment and final powered descent, landing only 40 meters from the target. However, a delayed engine ignition sequence caused the tail section to burn, preventing it from landing properly. The second long-range rocket…

III. Direct Reason for the Delay: The Failure of the Long March 7A amphibious assault triggered an industry-wide investigation.

• Industry shaken : On the evening of August 10, the Long March 7A carrier rocket experienced an anomaly during the launch of the Zhongxing-4B satellite from Wenchang, resulting in mission failure.@ZhejiangOnline2758
• A mechanism for learning from one incident and applying it to others : According to China’s aerospace quality management regulations, any rocket malfunction must trigger a comprehensive investigation. The Zhuque-3 rocket, for example, needs to complete checks on flight control logic and anomaly handling.

IMAGES AND VISUALS ARE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVES.