Mission
A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.
The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.
Long March 8A will launch SatNet LEO Group TBD? from Commercial LC-1 at Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China.
- Liftoff
- · ~
- Window
- – 3 h
- Rocket
- Long March 8ACASC
- Destination
- Low Earth Orbit
- Launch site
- Commercial LC-1, Wenchang, China10th launch from this pad in 202626 days after the last
- Latest update
- Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload identity uncertain.
54th
CASC launch of 2026
Long March 8A
CASC12 launches since February 2025, 12 successful
50.5m
Height
3.4m
Diameter
371t
Mass at liftoff
4.8MN
Thrust at liftoff
9.8t
Payload to low Earth orbit
3.5t
Payload to geostationary transfer orbit
About Long March 8A
The Long March 8A is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology based on the Long March 8. It has an increased capability of up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km altitude sun-synchronous orbit. It implements a larger 3.35 meters diameter liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen 2nd stage, coupled with 2 upgraded version of the YF-75D engines used on the Long March 5 (known as the YF-75H) with increased thrust to 10 tonnes each through measures such as increased turbopump speeds. The Long March 8A can also use a larger 5.2 meters diameter payload fairing.
Orbit estimated from CelesTrak’s elementsMeasured trackSpaceX’s predicted path
In orbit now
The crewed stations, Hubble and Starlink 15-16, once around the Earth every 90 to 94 minutes
| Spacecraft | Altitude | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| ISSDocked: Soyuz MS-29, Crew-13In sunlight | 433km | 27,546km/h |
| TiangongDocked: Shenzhou-23In Earth’s shadow | 389km | 27,644km/h |
| Shenzhou-23In Earth’s shadow | 389km | 27,644km/h |
| Soyuz MS-29In sunlight | 433km | 27,546km/h |
| Crew-13In sunlight | 433km | 27,546km/h |
| HubbleIn sunlight | 469km | 27,491km/h |
| Starlink 15-1627 satellites, launched 3 days ago; numbers for the first in lineIn sunlight | 265km | 27,892km/h |
Estimated for from CelesTrak’s orbital elements, Starlink 15-16’s fitted to SpaceX’s own data, up to 27 h old.
