CHINA / SOCIETY
China launches new internet satellite group
By Xinhua Published: Oct 25, 2026 05:15 PM
A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)


China launched a Long March-8A carrier rocket from the southern island province of Hainan on Sunday, sending a batch of internet satellites into space.

The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. The payloads, the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites, entered the designated orbit.

The satellites were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology.

The Long March-8A rocket is designed to meet the launch requirements of constellation networks in medium and low Earth orbits.

The launch marked the 674th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)


A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)


A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 25, 2026. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)


This long exposure photo taken on Oct. 25, 2026 shows a Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasting off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

This long exposure photo taken on Oct. 25, 2026 shows a Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasting off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province. The rocket lifted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The payloads entered the designated orbit. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)