China launches 18 satellites, expands Qianfan internet constellation to 182 spacecraft

(ECNS) - China launched 18 satellites into orbit on Thursday, expanding its Qianfan satellite internet constellation to 182 spacecraft as the country accelerates the development of its low-Earth-orbit communications network.

A Long March 6 modified carrier rocket lifts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province, June 4, 2026. The rocket successfully sent the 11th group of satellites for the Qianfan polar-orbit constellation into planned orbit, marking the 648th flight mission of the Long March series carrier rockets. (Photo by Shang Yuhang)

The satellites were launched at 7:39 p.m. Beijing time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 6A carrier rocket and successfully entered their planned orbit, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The mission marked the deployment of the 11th group of satellites for the Qianfan constellation, a low-Earth-orbit satellite internet network being built and operated by Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co.

The launch is part of China's broader push to expand its space-based communications infrastructure amid growing global competition in satellite internet services.

The Long March 6A is a medium-lift rocket designed for multiple-satellite deployments. Thursday's launch was the 648th flight of China's Long March rocket family, CASC said.

(By Zhang Jiahao)