Launched aboard a Long March 2D rocket at noon on Saturday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, the satellites belong to the Space-based Internet Technology Demonstrator program. The mission marks China's 17th space launch in 2025 and the 567th overall flight of the Long March rocket family.
The spacecraft were developed by GalaxySpace, headquartered in Beijing, and Changguang Satellite Technology, based in Changchun. The satellites are intended to test technologies that could enable mobile devices to link directly with satellites and improve connectivity between terrestrial and orbital internet systems.
GalaxySpace noted that its two satellites were assembled at its advanced smart manufacturing facility in Nantong, Jiangsu province. The company, which has launched over 20 spacecraft to date, also pioneered China's first flat-panel satellites with flexible solar panels.
The Long March 2D launch vehicle, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, operates on liquid propellants and delivers 300 metric tons of liftoff thrust. It is capable of placing a payload weighing up to 1.3 tons into a sun-synchronous orbit 700 kilometers above Earth.
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