China Launches 18 Satellites from Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site

China Launches 18 Satellites from Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site

Eighteen low-Earth orbit satellites were successfully launched aboard a Long March-8 Y6 carrier rocket from the Hainan commercial spaceport in south China's Hainan province in the early hours of Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

The satellites, the fifth group of its kind, have entered the correct preset orbit, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). They will become part of China's commercial Internet constellation Spacesail. This megaconstellation of 14,000 satellites being developed by Shanghai SpaceSail Technologies Co., Ltd. will “provide global users with low-latency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite broadband internet services”. At least 600 satellites are planned to be in orbit by the end of 2025.

Today's mission marks the inaugural launch from the spaceport's No. 1 launch pad. It follows the first launch from the No. 2 pad on Nov. 30, 2024. It demonstrates the dual-pad readiness of China's first commercial spaceport for large-scale and high-frequency satellite launch missions.

Video Credit: SMG
Duration: 2 minutes, 27 seconds
Release Date: March 12, 2025

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