China launched 18 Internet satellites of its Starlink analogue into orbit

The Chinese company China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) has launched 18 Gaofen satellites into orbit, according to its official website. The company acted as the general contractor for the mission.

Image source: cgwic.com

The Chang Zheng-6 rocket with 18 satellites developed by Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the Chinese province of Shanxi. This is already the second batch of first-generation devices for the Qianfan group. By 2030, China intends to deploy more than 10 thousand satellites in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed Internet.

The first batch of satellites of the Qianfan program went into space on August 6 – as a result, a cloud of space debris formed in orbit from more than three hundred fragments of the upper stage of the Long March 6A rocket. This year, the Qianfan constellation should expand to 108 satellites, and in 2025 another 648 satellites will be added to them. The network is expected to provide full coverage of the planet in 2028.

The medium-sized Long March 6 launch vehicle was developed at the Shanghai Institute of Aerospace Technology. The commercial company Great Wall specializes in launching and delivering satellites into orbit. To date, she has already made 90 starts.