China launches nine satellites from maritime platform near Shanghai

China has successfully launched nine satellites into orbit from a maritime platform located off the coast of Shanghai. The mission was carried out by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center using the Gravity-1 Y3 rocket, developed by the commercial aerospace company OrienSpace.

The payload included a new group of satellites for the Qianfan Constellation, intended for broadband internet services, and an Enhanced Ultra High Throughput (EUHT) satellite designed to test advanced data transmission processing capabilities. This mission marks the first time a Gravity-1 rocket has been used to deploy a large-scale low Earth orbit internet constellation.

According to OrienSpace, the launch set new records for Chinese maritime launches, achieving a net payload weight exceeding three tons and an orbital insertion altitude of approximately 800 kilometers. The mission also demonstrated the effectiveness of the maritime launch model for medium to large satellite payloads, coordinating production in Shanghai with sea-based launch operations to improve commercial space efficiency.