Thousand Sails Archives - SpaceNews

China conducts pair of Long March launches for Thousand Sails and Guowang megaconstellations

by Andrew Jones April 9, 2026April 9, 2026

China carried out separate Long March 8 and Long March 6A launches this week, adding new batches of satellites to the country’s megaconstellation projects.

A Long March 6A rocket lifts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China, producing a bright plume of exhaust against a clear sky, with four lightning towers surrounding the launch pad.

China resumes launches for Thousand Sails constellation, CAS Space launches new international payload

by Andrew Jones October 19, 2025October 19, 2025

A Long March 8 rocket lifts off from Hainan Commercial Launch Site at night, illuminating the surroundings with bright flames and thick clouds of smoke. The launch pad structure and lightning towers frame the ascending vehicle against the dark sky.

Long March 8 launches Thousand Sails satellites from commercial spaceport

by Andrew Jones March 11, 2025March 11, 2025

A Long March 6A rocket climbs above the launch tower at Taiyuan amid plumes of exhaust and a blue sky backdrop.

Chinese constellation operator Spacesail signs agreement with Measat of Malaysia

by Andrew Jones February 7, 2025February 7, 2025

A Long March 6A rocket climbs above the launch tower at Taiyuan amid plumes of exhaust and a blue sky backdrop.

China launches fourth batch of Thousand Sails megaconstellation satellites

by Andrew Jones January 23, 2025January 23, 2025

The second batch of Qianfan/Thousand Sails satellites launches on a Long March 6A rocket from Taiyuan, Oct. 15, 2024.

Satellite manufacturer for Chinese megaconstellation secures $137 million funding

by Andrew Jones December 30, 2024December 30, 2024

A Long March 6A rocket lifts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China, surrounded by four towering lightning rods, leaving a plume of dense white exhaust against a backdrop of a partly cloudy blue sky. The launch marks the deployment of the third batch of 18 Qianfan (Thousand Sails) satellites, a key step in China's ambitious low Earth orbit megaconstellation project, December 5, 2024.

Long March 6A launches third batch of Thousand Sails constellation satellites

by Andrew Jones December 5, 2024December 5, 2024

The second batch of Qianfan/Thousand Sails satellites launches on a Long March 6A rocket from Taiyuan, Oct. 15, 2024.

China launches second batch of 18 satellites for Thousand Sails megaconstellation

by Andrew Jones October 15, 2024October 15, 2024

Civil

Brightness of first Chinese broadband constellation satellites alarms astronomers

by Jeff Foust October 5, 2024October 5, 2024

Chinese rocket stage breaks up into cloud of more than 700 pieces of space debris

by Andrew Jones August 9, 2024August 9, 2024