Long March – Spaceflight Now

China launches new Gaofen Earth-imaging satellite

October 6, 2019

A Chinese Long March 4C rocket delivered into orbit Friday the Gaofen 10 Earth-imaging satellite, a likely replacement for a spacecraft lost in an August 2016 launch failure.

China launches environmental monitoring satellite

September 25, 2019

China launched a Long March 2D rocket Wednesday carrying a Yunhai environmental monitoring satellite into an orbit some 470 miles above Earth.

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.

Five Chinese smallsats launched by Long March 11 rocket

September 19, 2019

Five commercial Earth-imaging satellites rode a Long March 11 rocket into orbit Thursday from the Jiuquan space base in northwestern China.

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 launches three military satellites, tests new rocket steering fins

July 26, 2019

China launched a Long March 2C rocket Friday with three Yaogan 30 military satellites, and tested new grid fins on the Long March’s first stage to help guide the spent booster away from populated areas.

China adds to Beidou fleet with Long March launch

June 24, 2019

Another satellite for China’s Beidou navigation network rocketed into orbit Monday on top of a Long March 3B launcher.

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 state media confirms Long March launch failure

May 23, 2019

A Chinese Long March 4C rocket failed to place its top secret military payload into orbit Wednesday after a launch from the Taiyuan space base southwest of Beijing, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.