Watch the Launch

SatNet LEO Group 12

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Communications

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

A batch of 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.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 16, 2025, 3:21 a.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 16, 2025, 1:34 a.m.

Liftoff.


LL2 • Oct. 16, 2025, 12:38 a.m.

Unofficial Webcast by International Rocket Launches has started


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 8, 2025, 2:32 p.m.

Delayed to NET October 16 per new NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 6, 2025, 8:51 p.m.

Reverted back to October 10 with new NOTAMs and reports of launch date holding despite a roll-back occurred.


Long March 8A

Family:
Configuration: 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.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    50.5 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    371.0 T
  • Thrust
    4800.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 8A
  • Family
  • Variant
    8A
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 8A
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    9800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    3500.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    7000.0 kg

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 534 Failures: 14 Pending: 5

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

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 to launch six missions in one week

Following the successful flight of Starship Flight 11 on Monday, SpaceX is set to continue… The post Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 to launch six missions in one week appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

SpaceNews

China launches 12th group of Guowang broadband satellites as rocket milestone highlights accelerating launch rate

HELSINKI — China added to its Guowang national broadband megaconstellation Wednesday with the 600th Long March rocket launch, marking a milestone in the country’s accelerating spaceflight cadence. A Long March 8A rocket lifted off at 9:33 …

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 to launch five times, Blue Origin to launch crew

SpaceX is set to dominate the launch manifest for the first whole week of October… The post Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 to launch five times, Blue Origin to launch crew appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Commercial LC-1


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 10 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-19
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 12 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-17
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Kinetica 1
Success
3 days, 2 hours ago
PRSC-HS1 & AIRSAT-03/04
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

* PRSC-HS1 is a hyperspectral Earth observation satellite for SUPARCO of Pakistan. * AIRSAT-03/04 are 2 X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Ear…


Long March 6A
Success
4 days, 23 hours ago
G60 Polar Group 18
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
5 days, 20 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-52
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 8A
Success
6 days, 4 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 12
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. …


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 7 hours ago
SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer C
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Tranche 1 Transport Layer C is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Sp…


Electron
Success
1 week ago
Owl New World (StriX Launch 7)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Project Kuiper (KF-03)
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Third of a three launches contract for Amazon's Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation, with 24 satellites on board.


Starship
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Flight 11
Orbital Launch Pad 1 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

11th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle.