SatNet LEO Group TBD?
Long March 8A · China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Commercial LC-1
Overview
Date to be confirmed
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has an expected date, Friday, 20 November 2026, 11:00 UTC, but has not confirmed it. Treat it as a plan, not a promise.
Your local time:
Next: the provider confirms a date, and this page changes to "Go for launch".
- Rocket
- Long March 8A
- Provider
- China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
- Launch pad
- Commercial LC-1
- Location
- Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
- Launch time
- Fri 20 Nov 2026, 11:00 UTC
- Launch window
- Fri 20 Nov 2026, 11:00 UTC to Fri 20 Nov 2026, 14:00 UTC
- Mission type
- Communications
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbit
Live updates
Nothing yet. We add a short note here at each step: holds, fuelling, the final go or no-go, liftoff and the result. Our reports and news posts about this launch appear here too, each on its own page.
Written by the Space Mushroom team. Times are in UTC.
Discussion
The discussion for this launch opens a little before liftoff. Until then you can talk about launches in the community.
Rockets and launchesMission
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.
Description from the launch provider, passed on by Launch Library, The Space Devs.
Rocket
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.