First private rocket launched from East China Sea

The rocket made its maiden flight from the Yellow Sea in January 2024, launching from a sea-based platform off the coast of Haiyang, Shandong province. The mission made Orienspace the fifth private Chinese company to successfully launch its own carrier rocket, following i-Space, Galactic Energy, Space Pioneer and LandSpace.

Its second flight took place from the same launch site in the Yellow Sea in October 2025.

Six of the nine satellites launched on Wednesday were jointly developed by Beijing MinoSpace Technology, a private satellite manufacturer, and Huantian Wisdom, a State-owned satellite operator based in Sichuan province.

The six satellites will join two previously launched optical satellites and two synthetic aperture radar satellites to form the Huantian Constellation, comprising four optical satellites and six radar satellites.

According to Beijing MinoSpace Technology, the expanded constellation will significantly improve data acquisition efficiency and spatial coverage, supporting remote-sensing applications across Southwest China in fields including land surveying and mapping, emergency response, agriculture, forestry and water conservancy.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn