China Sets Sea-Launch Payload Record with 9 Satellites

China successfully launched the Gravity-1 Y3 carrier rocket from the East China Sea early on September 16, placing nine satellites into orbit and setting a new national record for payload weight and altitude in a single sea launch. The mission, conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center from waters east of Shanghai, marked the first time a Chinese solid-fuel rocket has deployed a large low-Earth-orbit (LEO) broadband internet constellation, according to Xinhua News.

The rocket lifted off at 6:00 a.m. Beijing time, carrying eight Qianfan polar-orbit Group 26 networking satellites and one EUHT (Enhanced Ultra-High-Speed Wireless Communication) technology test satellite.

Record-Setting Payload

According to Xinhua, the mission set new Chinese records for both payload weight and orbit insertion altitude in a single sea launch — a net payload of more than 3 tonnes delivered to an altitude of roughly 800 kilometers. The achievement validates the sea-launch model’s capacity to handle medium-to-large satellite payloads.

Science and Technology Daily reported that the launch was the world’s first sea-mobile mission dedicated to deploying a LEO broadband internet constellation. The payload used a combination of stacked satellite assemblies and flat-panel satellites, placing higher demands on multi-separation control technology — a capability the developer described as foundational for future high-frequency, large-scale constellation deployments.

The Gravity-1 Program

The launch was the fourth flight of Gravity-1, an all-solid, bundled (strap-on) launch vehicle developed by the Chinese commercial space company Orienspace, founded in 2020. Science and Technology Daily confirmed the mission was the vehicle’s fourth flight, with all four sea launches having succeeded.

Gravity-1 has a takeoff mass of about 405 tonnes and a takeoff thrust of roughly 600 tonnes, with a LEO payload capacity of 6.5 tonnes and a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit capacity of about 4.2 tonnes. Because its solid propellant is pre-loaded, the rocket requires no on-pad fueling, giving it rapid-response characteristics suited to sea-based operations.

Orienspace said the satellites launched in this mission were manufactured in Shanghai and launched from waters nearby, a land-sea coordination that improves the overall efficiency of commercial space manufacturing and launch.

China’s Answer to Starlink

The eight satellites join the Qianfan constellation, often described as China’s answer to SpaceX’s Starlink. The constellation is built and operated by Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co., which is pursuing a three-phase strategy: an initial 648-satellite phase intended to deliver early service capability, a second phase adding another 648 satellites for global coverage, and a long-term expansion toward 15,000 or more satellites supporting direct-to-phone and integrated Internet-of-Things applications.

Qianfan launches have proceeded at a rapid pace through 2026, with the September 16 mission deploying the constellation’s polar-orbit Group 26. The steady cadence reflects China’s broader push to secure orbital slots and spectrum in the increasingly competitive LEO broadband market.

What’s Next

Attention now turns to Orienspace’s next-generation vehicle. Science and Technology Daily reported that the Gravity-2, a reusable large liquid carrier rocket, is under accelerated development and will soon be unveiled, with a stated LEO payload capacity of 21.5 tonnes.

The Gravity-2 is powered by the Force-110 kerosene/liquid-oxygen engine, designed for deep throttling and more than 20 reuses. Industry analysts regard the shift from solid to reusable liquid rockets as critical, since solid vehicles face inherent ceilings in reusability, mass production, and payload capacity.

As China races to build out its satellite internet infrastructure, the September 16 launch underscores how commercial launch providers like Orienspace are becoming central players in the country’s space ambitions — and how quickly the competition for LEO broadband is intensifying.