China Launches Guowang and Yaogan-40 Satellites, Setting a Busy Schedule for the Fourth Quarter

China launched the 26th batch of Guowang internet satellites aboard a Long March 8A rocket into orbits at an altitude of approximately 1,100 kilometers, and launched a Long March 6A rocket carrying the fourth group of Yaogan-40 satellites. The two launches mark China's ninth and tenth missions during September.

China has recorded 70 orbital launch attempts in 2026 so far, needing at least 31 launches in the fourth quarter to surpass the 100-launch mark for the year, setting up a busy schedule for the final three months.

The Shenzhou-24 mission is expected to launch around November, potentially carrying the first foreign astronaut to the Tiangong space station, a development reflecting the expansion of Chinese space cooperation with other nations. China considers these flights part of its long-term crewed program to establish a permanent presence in low Earth orbit.

The accelerating pace of Chinese launches indicates a fierce race for orbital positions, particularly in satellite internet networks where China competes with Western projects such as Starlink. The scale of these networks impacts the future of global communications and data services, including in Middle Eastern regions increasingly relying on satellite internet to cover areas far from cable and fiber networks.

What do these terms mean?

Guowang: A Chinese project to build a satellite internet constellation similar to Starlink. Yaogan: A series of Chinese reconnaissance and monitoring satellites. Low Earth Orbit: A range close to Earth typically between 160 and 2,000 kilometers. Tiangong: China's crewed space station.