Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Live: Long March 8 Qianfan Group 5 Launch (No Commentary)

Footage courtesy of SpaceLens/imjipa International Rocket Launches provides commentary-free coverage of select global rocket launches. Follow @IntRocketLaunch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IntRoc...

SpaceSail Polar Group #5

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Polar Orbit
Mission: Communications

Polar Orbit Commercial LC-1 Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) with funding backed by the Shanghai local government. Initial constellation will consist of 1296 satellites by 2027 with long term plans to expand it to 12000 satellites. First launch from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site's LC-1.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • March 11, 2025, 5:20 p.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 11, 2025, 4:40 p.m.

Liftoff.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 7, 2025, 2:08 p.m.

Launch scheduled for NET March 11 per new NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • Dec. 20, 2024, 4:29 p.m.

NET January.


Cosmic_Penguin • Dec. 20, 2024, 12:37 p.m.

Launch postponed and confirmed by cancellation of drop zone air/marine space closure notices.


Long March 8

Family:
Configuration:

Long March 8 (Chinese: 长征八号运载火箭) is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and 2 out of its 4 boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning 3rd stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its 2nd stage. A "Core Only" version omitting the boosters is also available.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    50.34 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    356.0 T
  • Thrust
    4800.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 8
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 8
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    8100.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    2800.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    5000.0 kg

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 575 Failures: 15 Pending: 9

Agency Type:

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

Long March 8 launches Thousand Sails satellites from commercial spaceport

HELSINKI — A new group of 18 satellites entered orbit Tuesday for the Thousand Sails constellation with the first launch from a new commercial launch pad. A Long March 8 […] The post Long March 8 launches Thousand Sails satellites from co…

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Firefly set to launch amid busy launch manifest

This week, a busy launch manifest will see SpaceX launch the Crew-10 and Starlink Group… The post Launch Roundup: SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Firefly set to launch amid busy launch manifest appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Commercial LC-1


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 13 hours ago
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-34
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

34th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commer…


Kinetica 1
Success
3 days, 6 hours ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 5 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit: * Taijing-3-05A/B * Tianyi-50 * Tianyan-27 * Jilin-1 HR-03D-55


Zhuque-2E Block 2
Success
4 days, 8 hours ago
Mass Simulator
Launch Area 96A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2.8 tonnes Mass Simulator launched to a 900 km polar orbit on a test flight proving further upgrades to the ZQ-2E, including a longer 1st stage and e…


Long March 6A
Success
5 days, 23 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #8
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 8 hours ago
NROL-172
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Thirteenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Offi…


Long March 7
Success
1 week ago
Tianzhou-10
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Ninth cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 17-29
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 1 day ago
CAS500-2 & Others
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Ride-share of 45 satellites including: * CAS500-2 (KASA, South Korea) The South Korean CAS500-1 and -2 satellites will image the Earth in pan-chr…


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 10-38
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz-5
Success
2 weeks, 3 days ago
Demo Flight
45/1 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Demonstration Flight for Russia's new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, with a mass simulator on board. The launch was suborbital with the simulator splashing …