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China Sets New Rapid-Launch Mark With Three Long March Rockets in 19 Hours

The pace signals a broader buildout spanning broadband constellations plus opaque national-security payloads.

Overview

  • China flew Long March 6A, 4B and 3B missions within 19 hours, a sequence CASC confirmed as successful and a new one-day record.
  • The flights deployed Guowang broadband satellites, the classified Yaogan-47 spacecraft, and the TJS-22 technology test satellite typically associated with geostationary missions.
  • The burst pushed China’s 2025 orbital tally into the low 80s, with reporting listing two of the launches as the year’s 82nd and 83rd.
  • A separate Kinetica-1 commercial rocket then lofted nine small satellites, including payloads tied to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Nepal.
  • The 19-hour cadence undercuts SpaceX’s March 2024 three-launch mark of 20 hours 3 minutes, though SpaceX still leads in annual launch totals.