China successfully launched 18 low Earth orbit satellites

The satellites were launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket at 14:42 Beijing time and entered orbit as planned. This is the 530th mission of the Long March series.

Meanwhile, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the launch was carried out by telecommunications service provider Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST). These are 18 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

A day earlier, the China Securities Journal also reported that SSST had launched its first constellation of satellites into orbit, moving toward competing with SpaceX’s Starlink commercial broadband network (US). This move marks an important step in China’s strategic goal of creating its own version, competing with the growing Starlink network with about 5,500 satellites in space.

LEO satellites typically operate at altitudes of 300 - 2,000 km above the Earth's surface.