🚀 Chang Zheng 6A | 🛰 Qianfan Jigui (G60 constellation batch)
Launch date: June 5, 2025 20:45 UTC
Payload: Qianfan Jigui (G60 constellation batch)
Location: LC-9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China
Vehicle: Chang Zheng 6A
Chang Zheng 6A launched on June 5, 2025, deploying 18 G60/GuoWang LEO Group 4 constellation communications satellites from Taiyuan to polar orbit. These are part of Shanghai Spacecom’s ambitious low Earth orbit network, with plans for 1,296 satellites by 2027 and a long-term goal of 13,000 satellites. This launch supports China’s plan to expand the GuoWang constellation and deliver global broadband internet, positioning China’s network as a major competitor to Starlink.
LC-9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China
LC-9A, located within the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province, serves as a key launch pad for the Chang Zheng 6A (CZ-6A or Long March 6A) vehicle. The facility is under the management of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and supports a range of space missions, with a particular focus on launching satellites into sun-synchronous and polar orbits.
The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center is one of China’s primary spaceports, with LC-9A representing a newer addition designed to support the latest generation of launch vehicles. The pad has seen launches for various governmental and commercial satellite missions, contributing to China’s expanding capabilities in the field of space technology and satellite deployment.