Tag: Launch Vehicles
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China Launches Satellite Internet Low-Orbit Group 29 on Long March 12 (Video)
China launched Satellite Internet Low-Orbit Group 29 aboard a Long March 12 rocket at 4:24 a.m. Beijing time on November 9, or 20:24 UTC on November 8, from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site near Wenchang. The satellites entered their planned orbit, continuing the rapid deployment of the country’s low-Earth-orbit communications infrastructure. “Group 29” is…
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Ceres-2 Returns to Flight With Four-Satellite Launch (Video)
The Ceres-2 Y3 launch vehicle lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 7:37 a.m. Beijing Time on November 7, 2026, placing the Guanlan experimental satellite, Yunyao-1 28, North University of China-1 and Juntian-1 06A into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The mission was the second flight and first orbital success for Ceres-2, returning the…
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China Launches Yaogan-51 Satellites 07–09 on Long March 2C (Video)
China launched three Yaogan-51 remote-sensing satellites aboard a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province at 11:58 p.m. Beijing time on November 5, 2026. The spacecraft, designated Yaogan-51 07, 08 and 09, entered their planned orbit successfully. Chinese authorities said the satellites will support scientific experiments and electromagnetic environment…
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China’s Lijian-2 Launches 18 Qianfan Satellites on Second Flight (Video)
China launched the Lijian-2 Y2 carrier rocket at 8:15 a.m. Beijing Time on November 3, 2026, from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Testing Area. The liquid-fueled rocket placed 18 Qianfan Polar Group 21 satellites into their planned orbit, completing the vehicle’s second flight and its first large-scale satellite internet deployment mission. The mission added another…
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South Korea Readies Mir Rocket Debut as China Lines Up Four Launches This Week
The Mir demonstration, tracked by Next Spaceflight for Wednesday, November 4, would mark the debut of a rocket South Korea’s defense ministry has developed since 2021. South Korean officials have committed only to flying before the end of the year. The demo was originally set for June 30 but slipped over safety concerns. The week…
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Zhuque 2E Launches 10 Satellites on Zhuque 2 Series’ 10th Flight (Video)
LandSpace launched its Zhuque-2E Y4 rocket from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:40 UTC on October 14, 2026, deploying 10 satellites into their planned orbits. The rideshare mission carried eight ADA Space computing satellites and two laser data-transmission test satellites, marking the 10th flight of the…
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Long March 12 Launches China’s 27th LEO Internet Satellite Group
At 3:27 a.m. on October 10, 2026, China successfully launched the 27th group of low-Earth orbit internet satellites aboard a Long March 12 carrier rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The satellites entered their designated orbit, continuing the phased deployment of China’s satellite internet system and marking the 671st mission of the Long…
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What Unusual Ideas Have Engineers Proposed to Recover Rockets?
Engineers have long wanted to make space launches less expensive. Half a century ago, however, cost was rarely the first priority of a major space program. Completing the mission mattered more. Recovering and reusing rockets is now a key way to reduce launch costs, but engineers were considering the idea even before the Apollo program.…
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From Recovery Milestones to Routine Reuse: What Falcon 9 Can Teach China’s Reusable Rocket Industry
As the launch industry demands lower costs, higher flight rates and greater scale, reusability is making rockets function more like transportation systems. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 was the first reusable orbital rocket to enter commercial service. Its combination of relatively low costs, frequent launches, large scale and strong reliability has made it a mainstay of the…
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China Successfully Launches Remote-Sensing Satellite 40 Group 04 on Long March 6A Rocket
China launched the Remote-Sensing Satellite No. 40 Group 04 at 4:46 p.m. Beijing Time on September 24, 2026, using a Long March 6A rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The satellites entered their planned orbit and will primarily conduct electromagnetic environment detection and related technology experiments. Chinese authorities did not disclose the number of…