China has placed another batch of low-Earth-orbit internet satellites into orbit after a Long March-8A rocket lifted off from Hainan, extending the build-out of the country’s state-backed satellite communications network.
The rocket launched at 9.32 pm Beijing time on Wednesday from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site in Wenchang and successfully delivered the 26th group of internet satellites into their designated orbit, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said. Independent launch trackers identified the mission as carrying nine communications satellites for the SatNet constellation.
The mission used the Long March-8A, a two-and-a-half-stage liquid-fuel launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the state-owned aerospace group. The manufacturer said the rocket is designed for constellation deployment missions to low and medium Earth orbit and uses a 3.35-metre core first stage, a hydrogen-oxygen second stage, two liquid boosters and a 5.2-metre payload fairing.
Wednesday’s flight was the 669th launch of the Long March rocket family, according to the aerospace corporation. Launch tracking services recorded liftoff at 13.32 UTC and classified the mission as successful.
The launch followed another satellite-internet deployment from Hainan on September 17, when a Long March-12 rocket carried the 25th group of low-orbit internet satellites into space. That mission was also declared successful, putting the payloads into their planned orbit. The succession of launches underscores the accelerated cadence being used to assemble China’s large communications constellation.
The latest deployment also marks the third numbered internet-satellite group sent up in little more than five weeks. The 24th group flew on a Long March-12 from Hainan on August 16, followed by the 25th group on September 17 and Wednesday’s 26th group. Official launch announcements for those missions have not disclosed satellite counts, while independent orbital and launch databases identify nine spacecraft on the latest flight after successful deployment into orbit.
The satellites form part of a national low-Earth-orbit broadband system associated with China Satellite Network Group, the state-owned operator commonly linked with the SatNet programme. Specialist launch databases list the planned network at roughly 13,000 satellites, although Chinese authorities have disclosed limited technical and commercial detail about individual spacecraft and the timetable for completing the full constellation.
Low-Earth-orbit communications systems are designed to provide broadband links with lower latency than traditional geostationary satellites because they operate much closer to Earth. Large constellations require frequent launches to establish coverage, replace spacecraft and maintain orbital capacity, making launch rate and manufacturing scale central to deployment.
The Long March-8A has become one of the vehicles assigned to that role. Launch data show Wednesday’s mission was the rocket variant’s 11th flight and its fifth mission of 2026. The vehicle entered active service in 2025 and is rated by launch databases to carry up to about 9.8 tonnes to low Earth orbit, depending on mission profile.
The Hainan commercial launch facility is also playing a larger role in China’s launch programme. Its location near Wenchang gives launch vehicles access to trajectories over the sea and supports missions carrying larger payloads from a relatively low latitude. China has increasingly used the site for commercial and constellation missions alongside its established inland spaceports.
The Philippine Space Agency confirmed the Long March-8A launch and said expected debris was projected to fall in two designated zones, one within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and another within Philippine archipelagic waters. The agency said the zones were identified through a Notice to Airmen issued before the flight.
Philippine authorities said one projected debris area lay about 24 nautical miles from Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and 46 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa, while another was farther west near areas including Patag Island and Bajo de Masinloc. No debris was projected to fall on land or inhabited areas.
