At, China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration Successfully launched Chang Zheng – Long March 6A Y30 At using a Long March-6A carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. At 18:15 on October 23, China successfully launched the Yaogan50 03 satellite into its predetermined orbit using a Long March-6A carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success. The Yaogan50 03 satellite will be mainly used for land surveys, crop yield estimation, and disaster prevention and mitigation. The Long March-6A carrier rocket is a new generation of solid –
liquid coupled medium-lift launch vehicle…
At 18:15 on October 23, the Long March 6A carrier rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, successfully sending the Yaogan-50 03 satellite into its predetermined orbit. The launch mission was a complete success.
The Yaogan-50 03 satellite was developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and will be mainly used for land surveys, crop yield estimation, and disaster prevention and mitigation.
The Long March 6A carrier rocket, developed by the Commercial Rocket Company under CASC and with the Eighth Academy undertaking the development, is a new generation of solid-liquid coupled medium-lift carrier rocket.
This launch was the 672nd launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
At 18:15 on October 23, 2026, the Long March 6A carrier rocket successfully launched the Yaogan-50 03 satellite into its predetermined orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, marking a complete success for the mission. Approximately five minutes later, jellyfish-shaped rocket trails appeared in the night sky over Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shandong, and other locations ; these were luminous contrails left by the twilight effect
I. Key Mission Information
- Satellite Purpose : The Remote Sensing Satellite 50-03 was developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and is mainly used for land surveys, crop yield estimation, and disaster prevention and mitigation..
- Flight record : This mission marks the 672nd flight of the Long March series carrier rockets and the 74th launch of China’s space program in 2026.
- Rocket performance : The Long March 6A is a new generation of solid-liquid coupled medium rocket with a payload capacity of no less than 4 tons to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit. It is about 50 meters long and has a takeoff weight of about 530 tons
II. How are rocket clouds formed?
- Twilight conditions : The launch occurred shortly after sunset, when it was already dark on the ground, but the atmosphere at an altitude of 80 to 100 kilometers was still illuminated by sunlight.@Master, stop adjusting it
- Ice crystal trails : Water vapor emitted from the liquid oxygen/kerosene engine of a rocket sublimates into ice crystals under low temperature and low pressure, scattering sunlight to form luminous cloud bands, scientifically known as the twilight effect
- Persistent shape : Upper-level wind shear stretches the wake into the shape of a jellyfish, tadpole, or ribbon, which usually lasts from a few minutes to 20 minutes.
- III. Sighting Area and Photography
- Coverage area : Netizens in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei, Inner Mongolia and other places photographed the rocket cloud. A noticeable cloud cluster appeared in the western sky of Beijing at around 6:20 p.m..
- Notable viewpoints : The rocket trajectory was also recorded passing over Mount Tai in the Taishan Scenic Area; a photographer waited for several hours on the top of the mountain in Shanxi and captured a contrail that was “much larger than expected”.
- How to identify it : When you see a similar glowing cloud again, check if the time is within 1 hour after sunset, if there is a corresponding launch notification, and if the light trail is pointing westward toward the launch site.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned Space CNSA-China National Space Administration