Long March, expendable launch systems, China

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches PIESAT-02 09~12

Dec 17, 2024

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched four PIESAT-2 satellites (航天宏图PIESAT-2 09~12星) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 16 December 2024, at 18:50 UTC (17 December, at 02:50 local time). According to official sources, the PIESAT-02 09~12 satellites were designed and manufactured by GalaxySpace for Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology Co.,Ltd. and will be “mainly used for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, with high-precision imaging capability”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TJSW-12

Dec 20, 2024

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched TJSW-12 (通信技术试验卫星十二号, Communication Technology Test Satellite 12) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 20 December 2024, at 15:12 UTC (23:12 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the planned orbit and will be used for satellite communications, radio and television, data transmission, other services and tests of related technologies.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches Shijian-25

Jan 7, 2025

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the Shijian-25 satellite (实践二十五号卫星) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 6 January 2025, at 20:00 UTC (7 January, 04:00 local time). According to official sources, the satellite entered the planned orbit and will be “primarily used for the verification of satellite fuel replenishment and life extension service technologies”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches PRSC-EO1

Jan 17, 2025

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched three satellites, PRSC-EO1, Tianlu-1 (天路一号卫星) and LanTan-1 (蓝碳一号卫星, Blue Carbon-1), from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 17 January 2025, at 04:07 UTC (12:07 local time). PRSC-EO1 is a remote sensing satellite equipped with a high-resolution optical payload developed and operated by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). Tianlu-1 (天路一号卫星) is a remote sensing satellite developed by Galaxy Aerospace (银河航天).

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TJSW-14

Jan 23, 2025

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched TJSW-14 (通信技术试验卫星十四号, Communication Technology Test Satellite 14) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 23 January 2025, at 15:32 UTC (23:32 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the planned orbit and will be used for satellite communications, radio and television, data transmission, other services and tests of related technologies.

 

[Administrator]

The first Long March-8A launch

Feb 11, 2025

The first Long March-8A launch vehicle(长征八号甲遥一, LM-8A Y1) was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site Hainan Province, China, on 11 February 2025, at 09:30 UTC (17:30 local time). According to official sources, the SatNet LEO Group 02 satellites (卫星互联网低轨02组卫星, Satellite Internet LEO Group 02, part of the Guowang constellation) were placed into the desired orbits.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-8A to launch satellite constellations

Feb 14, 2025

The first Long March-8A launch vehicle (长征八号甲遥一, LM-8A Y1) was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site Hainan Province, China, on 11 February 2025, at 09:30 UTC (17:30 local time). According to CASC, Long March-8A is designed to launch groups of satellites for satellite constellations.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches ZhongXing-10R (ChinaSat-10R)

Feb 22, 2025

A Long March-3B rocket launched the ZhongXing-10R satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 22 February 2025, at 12:11 UTC (20:11 local time). ZhongXing-10R (中星10R, also known as ChinaSat-10R) is a communications satellite designed to “provide reliable, stable and safe radio and television transmission and communication services”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2C launches SuperView Neo-1 03 & 04

Feb 27, 2025

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched the SuperView Neo 1-03 and SuperView Neo 1-04 remote sensing satellites (四维高景一号03、04星 , Sìwei Gaojing-1 03, 04, “four-dimensional high-resolution”) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), Gansu Province, China, on 27 February 2025, at 07:08 UTC (15:08 local time). According to official sources, “the two high-resolution optical satellites mainly serve fields such as natural resources, urban safety, emergency management and maritime affair, providing users with rich data products and diverse application services”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TJSW-15

Mar 10, 2025

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched TJSW-15 (通信技术试验卫星十五号, Communication Technology Test Satellite 15) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 9 March 2025, at 16:17 UTC (10 March, at 00:17 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the planned orbit and will be “mainly used to verify multi-band and high-speed satellite communication technology”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches SuperView Neo-3 02 and Tianyan-23

Mar 15, 2025

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the SuperView Neo-3 02 (四维高景三号02星, Gaojing-3 02) remote sensing satellite and the Tianyan-23 satellite (天雁23星) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, China, on 15 March 2025, at 04:11 UTC (12:11 local time). According to official sources, SuperView Neo-3 02 “can efficiently serve emerging markets such as digital agriculture, smart water conservancy and digital city, as well as land resources survey, urban management, environmental protection, disaster prevention and reduction, maritime security etc., providing users with time-sensitive and high-performance spatiotemporal information services”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TianLian-2 04

Mar 27, 2025

A Long March-3B rocket launched the TianLian-2 04 satellite (天链二号04星) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 26 March 2025, at 15:55 UTC (23:55 local time). According to official sources, the satellite entered the planned orbit. TianLian-2 04 is the fourth satellite of China’s second-generation data relay satellite system. The satellite will form a network with TianLian-1 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, TianLian-2 01, 02 and 03, providing global coverage for data relay and transmission services, supporting communications between the China Space Station and the mission control center in Beijing.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-7A launches TJSW-16

Mar 30, 2025

A Long March-7A launch vehicle (长征七号A) launched TJSW-16 (通信技术试验卫星十六号, Communication Technology Test Satellite 16) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site Hainan Province, China, on 29 March 2025, at 16:05 UTC (30 March, at 00:05 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the planned orbit and will be “mainly used to verify multi-band and high-speed satellite communication technology”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches “Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite”

Apr 1, 2025

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched a new “Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite” (卫星互联网技术试验卫星) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 1 April 2025, at 04:00 UTC (12:00 local time). For the first time, the Long March-2D launch vehicle used a 3.8-metre composite payload fairing. According to official sources, the satellite entered the planned orbit successfully and is “primarily used to conduct technical verification and experiments, including mobile-to-satellite broadband connections and the integration of space-ground networks”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-6 launches Tianping-3A 02

Apr 3, 2025

A Long March-6 launch vehicle launched the second Tianping-3A satellite [天平三号A星 (02星)] from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 3 April 2025, at 02:12 UTC (10:12 local time). According to official sources, the Tianping-3A (02) satellite “will be primarily used for the calibration of ground-based radar equipment and radar cross section (RCS) measurement”. “It will support imaging experiments for ground-based optical equipment and monitoring tests of the low-orbit space environment, while also providing services for atmospheric space environment measurement and orbital prediction model correction”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TJSW-17

Apr 10, 2025

A Long March-3B launch vehicle (长三乙) launched TJSW-17 (通信技术试验卫星十七号, Communication Technology Test Satellite 17) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 10 April 2025, at 16:47 UTC (11 April, at 00:47 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the planned orbit and will be “mainly used to verify multi-band and high-speed satellite communication technology”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-6A launches Shiyan-27 01~06

Apr 19, 2025

A Long March-6A launch vehicle (LM-6A, 长征六号甲) launched six Shiyan-27 satellites (试验二十七号卫星01星~06, Shiyan-27 01~06) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC), Shanxi Province, China, on 18 April 2025, at 22:51 UTC (19 April, at 06:51 local time). According to official sources, the satellites “will be mainly used for space environment exploration and related technology tests”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TianLian-2 05

Apr 27, 2025

A Long March-3B rocket launched the TianLian-2 05 satellite (天链二号05星) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 27 April 2025, at 15:54 UTC (23:54 local time). According to official sources, the satellite entered the planned orbit. TianLian-2 05 is the fifth satellite of China’s second-generation data relay satellite system. The satellite will form a network with TianLian-1 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, TianLian-2 01, 02, 03 and 04 providing global coverage for data relay and transmission services, supporting communications between the China Space Station and the mission control center in Beijing.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-5B launches SatNet LEO Group 03

Apr 29, 2025

The Long March-5B Y7 launch vehicle (长征五号B遥七), with a Yuanzheng-2 (远征二号上面级, Expedition-2) upper stage, launched the third group of SatNet LEO satellites (卫星互联网低轨03组卫星, SatNet LEO Group 03, Satellite Internet LEO Group 03, Guowang constellation) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site Hainan Province, China, on 28 April 2025, at 20:10 UTC (29 April, at 04:10 local time).

 

[Administrator]

Long March-6A launches Yaogan-40 02

May 12, 2025

A Long March-6A launch vehicle launched Yaogan-40 02 (遥感四十号02组卫星), the second group of Yaogan-40 remote-sensing satellites, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 11 May 2025, at 13:27 UTC (21:27 local time). According to official sources, the satellites entered the preset orbits and “will be used to carry out electromagnetic environment detection and related technical tests”.