China Launches Satellites For Global Internet Network From Sea For First Time
China has successfully placed nine satellites into orbit from the sea in the world’s first mobile sea-based launch of a low-Earth orbit broadband internet constellation.
The satellites lifted off at 6:00 a.m. Beijing Time on Tuesday, September 16, 2026, from waters off the coast of Shanghai aboard the Gravity-1 Y3 launch vehicle. The mission was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
The payload included eight satellites from the Qianfan (Thousand Sails) constellation — Group 26 — which is part of China’s project to build a global low-Earth orbit system for high-speed internet access, and one Enhanced Ultra High Throughput (EUHT) technology test satellite. All nine satellites entered their designated orbits.
The flight set two new Chinese records for a single sea-based launch. The combined payload mass exceeded 3 tonnes, and the injection altitude reached about 800 kilometres, confirming the sea-launch model’s capability for medium and large payloads.
Gravity-1, built by Orienspace, is currently the world’s largest and most powerful solid-fuelled rocket, with a maximum payload capacity of 6.5 tonnes to low-Earth orbit. This was its fourth flight and its second mobile launch from the Far East, coming just 56 days after its previous mission.
The rocket demonstrated its ability to operate in challenging maritime conditions, including high temperature, humidity and salt fog.
Development of the next-generation Gravity-2, a large reusable liquid-fuelled rocket with a payload capacity of 21.5 tonnes to low-Earth orbit, is also progressing and is expected to make its debut soon. #China Launches Satellites For Global Internet Network From Sea For First Time# Fitch Affirms China at ‘A’ With Stable Outlook
