China has launched a new group of internet satellites into space on Sunday. The launch took place from a commercial spaceport on Hainan, an island province in southern China.
A Long March-12 rocket carried the satellites into the space. The launch took place on 12:10 p.m. Beijing time and successfully placed the satellites into their planned orbit. This was the 24th batch of low-orbit internet satellites launched under the program.
These satellites are part of China’s larger GuoWang project, which means “national network” in Chinese. The project aims to build a large network of low-orbit satellites that can send internet signals directly to people on Earth.
A state-owned company called China Satellite Network Group runs the GuoWang project. The Chinese government fully supports this company, showing how seriously the country takes this effort to build its own space-based internet system.
For now, the project focuses on providing internet services to people in China. In the future, China plans to expand the network and provide internet services to people around the world.
The number of GuoWang satellite launches has grown quickly this year. By August, China had already placed about 186 GuoWang satellites into orbit. Officials have said they plan to launch around 310 satellites in 2026, with an even bigger goal of about 900 more satellites for 2027.
The rocket used in this launch is the Long March-12. Engineers at the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology developed it, and it made its first flight in November 2024. The rocket is also the first Chinese rocket to use a single core stage that is four meters wide.
The rocket uses refined kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel. It can carry at least 12 tons of cargo into low Earth orbit or 6 tons into a higher orbit that stays in the same position relative to the Sun.
Engineers designed the Long March-12 for frequent and fast launches. Workers can build, test, and move the rocket while it is lying flat instead of standing it up early. This saves time between launches and helps China launch satellites more quickly.
Sunday’s mission lifted off from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on Hainan island. A company called Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. runs this site. The Chinese government created this company back in 2022, and it became the first business in China to fully own and manage a spaceport on its own.
Sunday’s launch took place at Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on Hainan Island. The site is operated by Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co., a company established in 2022. It became China’s first company to independently own and run a commercial spaceport.
Projects like GuoWang show China’s growing effort to build its own satellite internet network and compete with major networks such as SpaceX’s Starlink. Starlink leads the market with thousands of satellites and millions of users around the world. however, China also plans to keep adding satellites and expanding its space-based internet system in the coming years.
