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China launched the 24th batch of its low-Earth orbit internet satellites, SatNet LEO Group 24, on 16 August 2026 from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province.
The satellites flew on a Long March-12 carrier rocket on its Y8 mission, lifting off at 12:10 pm Beijing Time (04:10 UTC), and entered their preset orbits.
The launch came six days after a Long March 7A rocket exploded during ascent on 10 August 2026.
The mission adds to China's national low-orbit constellation for global internet connectivity, built up batch by batch.
Low-Earth orbit spans roughly 160 km to 2,000 km above the surface, where a satellite circles the Earth in about 90 to 120 minutes. Geostationary orbit sits at about 35,786 km above the equator, where a satellite matches the Earth's rotation and appears fixed in the sky. A signal to a geostationary satellite has to travel that far and back, which adds noticeable delay; a LEO satellite is far closer, so latency drops sharply. The cost is coverage: because each LEO satellite is low and moving fast, a constellation needs many spacecraft working together to keep any point on the ground continuously connected - which is why these systems are launched in batches.
Simple Analogy: One streetlamp on a tall mast lights the whole square dimly; dozens of low lamps light it brightly, but you need dozens.
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The delay between sending a signal and receiving a response; lower in LEO because the distance travelled is far shorter.
A group of satellites working together as a single system to provide continuous coverage.
The launch vehicle that carries a payload into orbit; China's main family is the Long March series.