On October 15, at 7:06 PM Beijing time, China successfully launched the Qianfan Polar Orbit 02 satellite group using a Long March 6改 rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The satellite entered its designated orbit as planned, marking a successful completion of the mission.

This latest launch follows a previous successful mission on August 6, when the Long March 6改 rocket deployed 18 satellites for the first batch of the Qianfan constellation. For this mission, the Long March 6改 utilized a stacked configuration to launch 18 satellites in a single flight.

The Qianfan constellation is part of China’s ongoing efforts to build a low Earth orbit satellite internet system. Low Earth orbit satellites are advantageous for satellite internet services due to their lower altitude, providing reduced transmission delays and lower link losses.

The Long March 6改 rocket has been developed by the Eighth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It represents China’s new generation of medium-sized launch vehicles, capable of carrying at least 4.5 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The Long March 6改 is currently in a phase of high-frequency launches; this mission marks its eighth flight and the 539th flight overall for the Long March series rockets.

The Qianfan Polar Orbit 02 satellites were coordinated by Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., with development undertaken by Shanghai GeSi Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd.