At 00:31 Beijing time on August 9, 2025, in the Yellow Sea near Rizhao, Shandong, the “Jielong-3” Yao-6 carrier rocket was ignited and launched on the “Dongfang Spaceport” launch ship, and then sent the Geely Constellation 04 group of satellites into a low-Earth orbit (LEO) with an altitude of 600 kilometers and an inclination of 50 degrees.
The mission’s payload consists of 11 satellites from the Geely Constellation 04 Group, including 10 operational satellites and one technical test satellite. The Geely Constellation, also known as the Geely Future Mobility Constellation, is the world’s first commercial integrated communications, navigation, and remote sensing constellation, developed by Zhejiang Spacetime Daoyu Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group. It will provide low-orbit communications, navigation augmentation, and remote sensing imaging services. The Geely Constellation will be constructed in three phases. Phase I plans to include 72 satellites, aiming to achieve global real-time data communications and provide low- and medium-speed satellite communications services to over 200 million users worldwide. The constellation plans to launch 5,676 communications satellites, providing global commercial low-orbit broadband communications services.
This mission marks the fourth launch of the Geely constellation, bringing the total number of satellites in orbit to 41. It is expected that within the next two months, the number of satellites in orbit will increase to 64, enabling real-time data communications for most of the world (excluding the North and South Poles).
The Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) is a medium-sized solid-propellant carrier rocket developed by the First Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and invested in by its subsidiary, the China Rocket Corporation. It features a four-stage tandem configuration, powered entirely by solid propellant engines developed by the Fourth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Targeted for the commercial space launch market, the rocket is primarily used for launches to Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The Jielong-3 rocket stands 31.8 meters tall, has a maximum diameter of 2.65 meters, a takeoff mass of 140 tons, and a takeoff thrust of 200 tons. When launched from sea, it can carry no less than 1.6 tons to a low-Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 650 kilometers and an inclination of 55 degrees. The rocket was assembled at the China Rocket Corporation’s Haiyang plant in Shandong Province and features a 3.35-meter-diameter fairing.
This rocket is the first rocket of the “Jielong-3” batch production 01, marking the rocket’s transition from “customization” to “mass” production, which means that it will increase production capacity, reduce costs, support the implementation of higher-frequency launches, and meet the “low-cost, high-frequency” launch needs of commercial aerospace.
Currently, the China Rocket Corporation has signed a framework agreement with SpaceTime Aerospace for 10 rocket launches, and will conduct three consecutive launches (Yao-6, Yao-7, and Yao-8) for the Geely constellation within two months. The Yao-6 mission officially marks the beginning of a high-frequency launch of the Jielong-3 and the beginning of a period of intensive launches for the Geely constellation. This mission is the second launch of the Jielong-3 carrier rocket in 2025, the sixth launch of the Jielong-3 rocket in total and the seventh launch of the Jielong series of rockets.
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