CAST – Spaceflight Now

Chinese rocket fails during launch of Indonesian communications satellite

April 9, 2020

A Long March 3B rocket malfunctioned during the launch of an Indonesian communications satellite Thursday, leading to sightings of fiery debris in the skies over Guam.

Two more satellites launched into China’s Beidou navigation fleet

September 23, 2019

China added two more satellites to the country’s Beidou navigation fleet — an analog to the U.S. military’s GPS network — with a successful Long March 3B rocket launch Sunday.

China launches Earth-observing satellites, solar sail experiment

September 12, 2019

Two Earth-imaging satellites and an experimental solar sail payload rocketed into orbit Thursday aboard a Chinese Long March 4B launcher, the first flight for China’s Long March 4 rocket family since an upper stage failure in May.

Chinasat 18 communications satellite encounters problem after launch

August 20, 2019

A communications satellite designed to deliver broadband services to rural China, airline passengers and maritime vessels suffered “abnormalities” after separating from its Long March 3B launcher Monday, Chinese state media confirmed Tuesday.

China’s first sea launch declared a success

June 5, 2019

A solid-fueled Long March 11 rocket fired out of a container aboard a barge in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday with seven satellites heading into orbit on China’s first space launch from an ocean vessel.

Chinese TV broadcasting satellite launched on 300th Long March rocket

March 11, 2019

A Chinese television broadcasting satellite lifted off Saturday aboard a Long March 3B booster, the 300th orbital launch by the country’s Long March rocket family since 1970.

Another pair of Chinese navigation satellites successfully launched

July 30, 2018

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched two satellites Sunday to become the eighth and ninth spacecraft added to the country’s Beidou navigation system so far this year.

Chinese rocket launches with first Algerian communications satellite

December 10, 2017

A Chinese-built telecom satellite for Algeria successfully launched Sunday aboard a Long March 3B rocket, heading toward a perch more than 22,000 miles over the equator to provide television broadcasts, broadband Internet, remote education and emergency communications services.

China successfully launches Earth-imaging satellite for Venezuela

October 9, 2017

A Chinese Long March 2D rocket launched Venezuela’s second Earth-observing surveillance satellite Monday, adding a new space-based reconnaissance asset the country’s government says it will use to aid security forces, emergency responders, farmers, and health professionals.

China’s first mobile telecom satellite successfully launched

August 8, 2016

China sent a mobile communications satellite into orbit Friday on top of a Long March 3B rocket, marking the country’s 10th launch of 2016 as technicians gear up for the next flight of Chinese astronauts and other major missions later this year.