China deploys 15th batch of internet satellites into orbit

China launched a group of internet satellites into orbit on Tuesday morning, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the leading State-owned space contractor.

The satellites, the 15th group of low-orbit hardware in China's State-owned internet network, were lifted by a Long March 6A carrier rocket at 6:11 am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province and soon reached their orbital positions shortly after launch, CASC said in a news release.

The satellites were designed and built by the China Academy of Space Technology, a CASC subsidiary in Beijing. With this latest edition, China's State-run mega internet satellite network now includes more than 110 satellites.

The Long March 6A rocket model was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another CASC subsidiary, as a medium-lift launch vehicle featuring a 50-meter liquid-propelled core booster and four solid-fuel side boosters. The rocket has a liftoff weight of 530 metric tons and is tasked with transporting satellites to multiple types of orbit, including sun-synchronous, low-Earth and intermediate circular orbit.

The launch marked China's 81st space mission and the 613th flight of the Long March rocket fleet. It was also the fifth time the Long March 6A model has been used to deploy low-orbit internet satellites.