Long March 12 Launches 29th Batch of Satellite Internet Satellites Into Orbit Before Dawn

Highlights

• Long March 12 launches before dawn, putting the 29th batch of low-orbit satellite internet satellites into orbit
• Long March 12 is a 4-meter-diameter, single-core cryogenic liquid rocket
• This was the 676th launch of a Long March carrier rocket

A pre-dawn launch: 29th batch of low-orbit satellites reaches orbit

At 04:24 on Nov 9, a Long March 12 carrier rocket ignited and lifted off from the Hainan Commercial Spaceport, then successfully sent the 29th batch of low-orbit satellite internet satellites into their planned orbit. The launch mission was a complete success. The 29th batch of low-orbit satellite internet satellites was developed under the overall leadership of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. (Source: IT Home)

The batch number indicates that the satellites belong to the mass constellation-deployment sequence of the low-orbit satellite internet system. A pre-dawn launch window and a single launch carrying one batch of satellites are typical of current low-orbit constellation deployment. The launch site, the Hainan Commercial Spaceport, also continues the pattern of commercial spaceports taking on constellation deployment missions. (Source: IT Home)

Long March 12: a 4-meter-class single-core cryogenic liquid rocket

The Long March 12 was developed under the overall leadership of the commercial rocket company under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, with the Eighth Academy responsible for development. It is a new-generation cryogenic liquid-propellant carrier rocket and China's first 4-meter-diameter, single-core carrier rocket. The rocket is about 62 meters long and has a payload capacity of no less than 6 tonnes to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. It can be equipped with 4.2-meter or 5.2-meter diameter fairings depending on the mission, supporting single-satellite and multi-satellite launches to different orbits. (Source: IT Home)

By its specifications, the Long March 12 is positioned for medium payload capacity and multi-configuration adaptability: the single-core structure simplifies the rocket's form, while the 4-meter diameter and two fairing options let it switch between single-satellite and multi-satellite missions and different orbits. For commercial launches, this "one model, multiple configurations" capability affects mission scheduling and payload integration efficiency more than a single payload figure does. (Source: IT Home)

The deployment pace behind the 676th launch

This launch was the 676th flight of a Long March carrier rocket. (Source: IT Home)

Viewed within the commercial space sector, two lines are advancing at once: the low-orbit satellite internet constellation continues to place batches of satellites into orbit, and the frequency of constellation launches carried out by commercial rocket companies and commercial spaceports is accumulating. A single launch is not a turning point in itself, but the continuity of the deployment sequence and the reuse pace of launch sites and rocket models are observation points that can be further verified going forward. (Source: IT Home)