Launch
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Long March 8A | SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)
- Mission
- rocket
- Pad
- Agency
Mission
SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)
Communications
Low Earth Orbit
Demonstration flight of the Long March 8A rocket with upgraded first stage and boosters engines, and a new larger liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage with new YF-75H engines derived from ones used on the Long March 5. Payload is a batch of Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.
Status
Launch Successful
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Pad
Location
Asia/Shanghai
Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
The Wenchang Space Launch Site is a rocket launch site located in Wenchang on the island of Hainan, in China. Formally a suborbital test center, it currently serves as China's southernmost spaceport. The site was selected for its low latitude, 19° north of the equator, allowing for larger payloads to be launched. It is capable of launching the Long March 5, the heaviest Chinese rocket. Unlike launch facilities on the mainland, Wenchang uses its seaport for deliveries.
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Location Image
Rocket
Long March 8A
The Long March 8A is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology based on the Long March 8. It has an increased capability of up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km altitude sun-synchronous orbit. It implements a larger 3.35 meters diameter liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen 2nd stage, coupled with 2 upgraded version of the YF-75D engines used on the Long March 5 (known as the YF-75H) with increased thrust to 10 tonnes each through measures such as increased turbopump speeds. The Long March 8A can also use a larger 5.2 meters diameter payload fairing.
Family: Long March
Variant: 8A
Details
Min stage: 2
Max stage: 2m
Length: 50.5m
Diameter: 3.35
First Flight: Feb. 11, 2025
Total launch count: 1
Successful launches: 1
Consecutive successful launches: 1
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity: 9800kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) capacity: 3500kg
Manufacturer
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Government
CHN
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.
1999
Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei
Long March
Agency
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.
Details
Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei
1999
Long March
Total launch count: 516
Successful launches: 502
Consecutive successful launches: 58
Failed launches: 14
Pending launches: 7