HELSINKI — China launched three low Earth orbit broadband test satellites Friday, completing a record-breaking year for launches globally.
A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 7:13 p.m. Dec. 29 (0013 UTC, Dec. 30). The China Aerospace Science and Technology Group (CASC) confirmed launch success and revealed the passengers to be three satellite Internet technology test satellites.
U.S. Space Force space domain awareness later tracked three objects in roughly 930 by 940-kilometer orbits with an inclination of 50 degrees.
The satellites were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a major spacecraft maker under CASC, China’s state-owned main space contractor.
Previous Chinese satellite internet test satellites launched in 2023 have also been developed by CASC’s Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) and the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMCAS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The missions are believed to be part of China’s national Guowang LEO broadband megaconstellation project. Meanwhile the first satellite for another Chinese megaconstellation rolled off assembly lines earlier this week.
The mission was China’s 67th orbital launch of 2023. This number eclipsed its previous national record of 64, achieved in 2022.
2023 breakdown
CASC had targeted launching more than 60 times this year, aiming to put more than 200 spacecraft into orbit. Despite suffering no launch failures it has fallen someway short, with commercial space actors accounting for 17 of the 67 launches. Only one launch, a Ceres-1 rocket from startup Galactic Energy, failed.
CASC continued to rely heavily on launches of its older, hypergolic Long March 2, 3 and 4 series rockets across 2023, with an expected Long March 5B launch not taking place. With China completing its Tiangong space station with two module launches in 2022, coupled with…
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