Long March-6A launches SpaceSail Polar Orbit 01

A Long March-6A launch vehicle (LM-6A, 长征六号甲) launched the first group of 18 SpaceSail Polar Orbit satellites (千帆极轨01组卫星) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 6 August 2024, at 06:42 UTC (14:42 local time). According to official sources, the 18 satellites constitute the first batch of the first generation of the SpaceSail Constellation, developed by Shanghai SpaceSail Technologies Co., Ltd. to “provide global users with low-latency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite broadband internet services”. Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)