Overview
- China’s Long March 8 lifted off from Hainan on April 7 carrying 18 Innovation Academy for Microsatellites–built spacecraft for the Thousand Sails (Qianfan) broadband constellation.
- A Long March 6A launched from Taiyuan on April 8 with the 21st group of national Guowang satellites, and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation reported mission success.
- With these flights, Qianfan now has about 126 satellites in orbit and Guowang has 168 operational craft, marking a shift from sporadic deployments to steady batches.
- International Telecommunication Union filings show Guowang is planned as a 13,000‑satellite network with a near‑term goal of 400 in orbit by 2027, aligning with China’s new plan that prioritizes satellite internet and reusable launch systems.
- China is targeting up to 140 launches in 2026 following an April 3 failure of the debut Tianlong‑3, indicating constellation build‑outs like Qianfan and Guowang will drive the year’s surge.