Wenchang, Hainan Province – China marked another milestone in its ambitious push toward global satellite internet dominance on Saturday, December 6, 2025, when a Long March-8A carrier rocket successfully deployed the 14th batch of low-Earth orbit (LEO) internet satellites into space. The mission, launched precisely at 3:53 p.m. Beijing Time (0553 GMT) from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, underscores Beijing’s accelerating space program, blending technological innovation with environmental considerations amid a year of record-breaking launch activity.
The rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) under the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), roared to life with a liftoff thrust of approximately 4,800 tons, propelling its payload into a preset sun-synchronous orbit at around 700 kilometers altitude. Standing 50.5 meters tall and weighing 371 metric tons at liftoff, the Long March-8A is engineered for medium-lift missions, capable of hauling up to 7 metric tons to such orbits — ideal for deploying clusters of compact satellites for broadband constellations. This flight represented the vehicle’s fifth successful ascent since its debut in February 2025, and the 612th overall mission for the venerable Long March family, which has underpinned nearly 86% of China’s space endeavors since 1970.
What set this launch apart was its pioneering use of coal-based rocket kerosene as the primary propellant, a shift from the conventional petroleum-derived variant. State media hailed the fuel as a “green power” innovation: more environmentally friendly due to reduced emissions during production and combustion, easier to store and transport without specialized cryogenic infrastructure, and cost-effective for scaling up high-frequency operations. CALT engineers reported that the coal-based kerosene delivered performance metrics — specific impulse and thrust stability — on par with traditional fuels, paving the way for sustainable, rapid-deployment missions essential to China’s megaconstellation goals. “This lays the foundation for future high-frequency ‘green’ launches,” a CASC spokesperson noted, emphasizing how the fuel’s domestic sourcing from China’s vast coal reserves aligns with national self-reliance in aerospace propulsion.
The satellites themselves form part of the Guowang constellation, Beijing’s state-backed answer to SpaceX’s Starlink, designed to deliver ubiquitous broadband coverage worldwide. Filed with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2020, Guowang envisions up to 13,000 satellites split into two sub-networks: about 6,000 in lower orbits (500–600 km) for low-latency service and 7,000 at higher altitudes around 1,145 km for broader coverage. As of October 2025, the project had deployed 89 operational satellites alongside 18 experimental ones, with this 14th group — likely comprising nine vehicles based on prior batches — pushing the total past 100. Orbiting at inclinations of 50 degrees, these flat-panel satellites feature advanced phased-array antennas for beamforming, enabling gigabit-speed internet to remote regions, maritime vessels, and disaster zones where terrestrial networks falter.
China’s satellite internet race is multifaceted, with Guowang complemented by commercial ventures like the Qianfan (Thousand Sails) constellation, backed by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology and aiming for 15,000 satellites by project’s end. Launched in 2024 as a direct Starlink rival, Qianfan’s first phase targets 648 satellites for regional coverage by late 2025, with another 648 for global reach by 2027. To date, about 90 Qianfan satellites are in orbit, deployed via Long March variants from sites like Taiyuan in Shanxi Province. These efforts align with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), which prioritizes integrating LEO networks with ground-based 5G/6G systems for seamless connectivity.
The Hainan launch site’s role cannot be overstated. Nestled on the tropical island’s eastern coast, this eco-friendly facility — China’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport — has hosted 10 missions in 2025 alone, a double-digit record that reflects surging demand for LEO deployments. Equipped with two all-weather pads for cryogenic rockets, Wenchang supports parallel testing of multiple vehicles, enabling the high-density cadence needed for constellation buildouts. Its location near the equator provides a gravitational slingshot for efficient polar and sun-synchronous insertions, reducing fuel needs by up to 15% compared to inland sites like Jiuquan or Xichang.
This surge positions China as a launch powerhouse: 2025 has seen over 60 orbital attempts nationwide, outpacing the U.S. in raw frequency for the third consecutive year, driven by commercial firms like LandSpace and i-Space debuting reusable rockets. The Long March-8A’s rapid maturation — five flights in under a year — exemplifies this momentum, with CALT expanding YF-100 engine production to sustain 20+ annual missions for the series.
Challenges remain. The proliferation of LEO megaconstellations raises orbital debris risks; Guowang and Qianfan satellites incorporate collision-avoidance technology, but with over 100,000 objects tracked in orbit, international coordination is critical. Astronomers also decry “satellite trains” streaking night skies, prompting mitigation pledges like anti-reflective coatings.
Geopolitically, these launches signal China’s bid for digital sovereignty. Guowang promises resilient connectivity for Belt and Road nations, bypassing U.S.-dominated undersea cables vulnerable to sabotage. Dual-use potential — enhanced surveillance via broadband links — fuels Western concerns. As Beijing eyes 1,000+ Guowang satellites by 2027, experts predict intensified U.S.–China space rivalry, with implications for everything from rural 6G access to military command networks.
Saturday’s triumph, viewed by thousands at the seaside site under clear tropical skies, reaffirms China’s ascent: from Long March-1’s humble 1970 debut to today’s green-fueled constellations bridging digital divides. With upcoming feats like the Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return and Shenzhou crewed flights, 2025 closes as a banner year, propelling the nation toward lunar bases and Mars by decade’s end.
