The satellites, built by the Shanghai-based Innovation Academy for Microsatellites under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, were launched on Friday afternoon aboard a Long March 6A rocket at 3:08 pm. The plate-shaped spacecraft entered their designated orbits shortly after liftoff.
With this mission, a total of 108 satellites have now been launched across six rockets for the Spacesail Constellation, a project aimed at delivering global broadband connectivity. Originally known as the G60 network, the constellation will eventually comprise more than 10,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites by 2030, providing high-speed, secure, and reliable internet coverage worldwide.
According to the company, the initial operational network-consisting of 648 satellites-is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Analysts have compared the system to SpaceX's Starlink constellation, highlighting it as China's counterpart in the expanding global satellite internet sector.
The Long March 6A launch vehicle, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, is a medium-lift rocket combining a 50-meter liquid-fueled core stage with four solid boosters. Its core has a diameter of 3.35 meters and is powered by two 120-ton-thrust engines using liquid oxygen and kerosene propellant.
Weighing 530 metric tons at liftoff, the rocket can transport payloads into sun-synchronous, low-Earth, and intermediate circular orbits. The latest flight represented China's 64th orbital launch of 2025 and the 601st mission in the Long March series, the nation's primary launch vehicle family.
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