A Chinese commercial launch firm conducted its second orbital mission Wednesday, sending a reported record 26 satellites into orbit. The second Lijian-1 solid rocket developed by CAS Space lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 12:10 a.m. Eastern June 7. Aboard were the Shiyan-24A and Shiyan-24B experimental satellites. The other payloads were described as technological demonstrations and commercial remote-sensing by Chinese state media reports. The 26 payloads aboard the flight surpass the previous national record of 22 satellites launched by the much larger Long March 8 rocket in February 2022. Shiyan series satellites are often classified and understood to be used to test new technologies and payloads for Chinese space systems. These are usually developed and launched by CASC, China’s main, state-owned space contractor. The June 7 launch indicates CAS Space was awarded a contract for national and defense launches, whereas the vast majority of commercial Chinese launches carry commercial payloads. Other payloads known to be on the flight included Xi’an Hangtou-8 for Xi’an Aerospace Investment, and Xingshidai-16 and Tianyi-26 for commercial satellite firms ADA Space and Spacety respectively.
Full story : Chinese commercial rocket firm launches 26 satellites, sets national record.
