China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

🚀🛰️China launched the Long March-12 Y10 carrier rocket on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an Internet satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 03:27am China Standard Time and successfully placed the payload, the 27th group of low-orbit Internet satellites, into the preset orbit. Nine more GuoWang satellites are now in space from this SatNet LEO Group 27 launch. The satellites were made by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Weighing about 695 kilograms each, the platforms utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

After today’s launch, 222 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it was expected that 3102 satellites would be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

With today’s launch, the Long March 12 rocket has flown three times in the last three months with August and September missions prior, for the second time in its almost two years of flight history.

This mission was the 9th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 11th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 279th Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 671st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 71st launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Text Credit: CCTV, Jack C.
Date: Oct. 10, 2026

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