China Space Watch

A modified #LongMarch6 carrier rocket launches the 11th SpaceSail Constellation satellite group today, a mega commercial Chinese low-orbit satellite network.

🚀Lift Off! Long March 6A Y25 at 11:39UTC - June 4 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. Delivering 🛰️ SpaceSail Internet Satelittes - Group-11 into orbit.

🚩🚀Long March 12B maiden launch recap.

🚀 Test flight success! Last month the reusable plane-symmetric rocket Yixian-3, developed by a team led by Professor Wu Zhigang of Sun Yat-sen University, successfully completed a low-altitude flight test in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province.

Success! 🚀 China’s Long March-12B Y1 made its maiden flight from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone, deploying Qianfan Constellation networking satellites into their planned orbits. This mission also marked the 647th flight of the Long March rocket family.

Maiden flight success! 🚀 The Long March-12B Y1 launched on June 1, 2026, from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Experimental Zone, placing two SpaceSail Constellation satellites into their planned orbits. China’s new reusable rocket will attempt first-stage recovery on a future mission.

Success! 🚀 China’s Long March-12B Y1 made its maiden flight from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone, deploying Qianfan Constellation networking satellites into their planned orbits. This mission also marked the 647th flight of the Long March rocket family.

The world was watching China's Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship lift off last week. With Western media calling the mission a key step toward China's crewed moon landing goal, with particular attention on the one-year in-orbit stay experiment this time.

The Return Capsule Carrying Shenzhou-21 Crew Re Entry and Landing in North China.

🚩🛰️ Looking Back: China's Shenzhou-22 spacecraft undocked from the space station at 14:44 Beijing time on May 29. The mission returned Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang to Earth.

🚀 Lift Off! A Long March-2D launched four experimental internet technology satellites from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China, on 30 May 2026 at 18:07 UTC. The satellites successfully entered their planned orbits.

🚀 The Shenzhou-21 crew has safely returned to Earth after nearly seven months aboard China’s space station. Beyond completing their mission, Commander Zhang Lu brought back a special gift from space for China’s science and technology community.

🚀 After 210 days aboard the China Space Station, the Shenzhou-21 crew—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang—safely returned to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-22 return capsule, landing at the Dongfeng site in Inner Mongolia on May 29, 2026. All astronauts are reported to be in good health.

All eyes on the landing! Here's exactly how the Shenzhou-22 return capsule made its touchdown tonight. #Shenzhou21crew

Counting down to the #Shenzhou21 crew's return! Here's a quick look at the final full-system search and rescue drill, held on May 27.

China sent a new communication technology test satellite into space from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on May 27, 2026. Launched at 12:16 a.m. (Beijing time) aboard a modified Long March-7 carrier rocket and has entered its pre-set orbit. See the build up, and launch in this cool time lapse.

The Hatch Opening : The Shenzhou-23 crew entered the Tianhe core module on 24 May 2026 at 21:13 UTC. Commander Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying are the 11th crewed mission to China’s space station.

A close up view of Shenzhou-23's launch. The three astronauts aboard have now entered the Tiangong space station and met with another astronaut trio, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.

The Arrival : The Shenzhou-23 crew spacecraft successfully docked with the Tianhe Core Module of the China Space Station on 24 May 2026 at 18:45 UTC. The mission carries astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Li Jiaying, marking China’s eleventh crewed mission to its orbital station.

China launches a crew of three astronauts to its Tiangong space station onboard its Shenzhou-23 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The crew includes Lai Ka-ying, who is the first astronaut from Hong Kong, along with astronauts Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan.

🚀 Lift Off! The launch of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship was a complete success, an official at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center announced on Sunday.

🚩🚀 Enjoy this breathtaking moment from the launch of the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission! Huge congrats to the Shenzhou-23 crew, and to all the engineers and scientists behind this incredible achievement. #ChinaSpace #Shenzhou23 #SpaceStation

From Commander Zhu Yangzhu, pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, to payload specialist Li Jiaying from Hong Kong SAR – hear the voices of the #Shenzhou23 crew. They remind us that exploring the cosmos isn't about leaving Earth behind, but coming back to build a better home for all.

The China National Space Administration announced the Shenzhou-23 crew: commander Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying. A Long March-2F Y23 rocket will launch Shenzhou-23 from Jiuquan on 24 May 2026 at 15:08 UTC, carrying the 11th crew to the China Space Station.

China to Launch Shenzhou-23 Crewed Spaceship on May 24 : China's Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:08 p.m. on May 24 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency announced on May 23.

Beyond SMILE : A flagship China-Europe collaboration. Chinese & European scientists have spent over 10 years in designing, developing and building the SMILE satellite. Find out what other projects China and Europe have collaborated on in space exploration...

Another Look @ The Vega-C rocket launch. Lifting the China (CAS) and European (ESA) SMILE mission into low-Earth orbit from Kourou, French Guiana, on 19 May 2026. The spacecraft will use four instruments to study how Earth’s magnetosphere responds to the solar wind from the Sun.

...🧵 Part 2

Launch Highlights! : The joint China (CAS) and Europe (ESA) SMILE mission 🛰️ successfully launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from French Guiana on 19 May 2026. SMILE will study how Earth’s magnetosphere responds to the solar wind, helping improve our understanding of space weather and solar storms...🧵

Sunday’s launch marked more than another mission — it became the 643rd flight in the iconic Long March rocket legacy and the second Long March 8 launch of 2026. Now operating in high-density mode, Long March 8 is powering China’s growing low-orbit internet constellation, including Spacesail.

🚀 Lift Off! - Long March 8 Y8 - 14:42UTC May 17 from Hainan. 🛰️ Carrying SpaceSail/G60 Group-9 Internet Satellites into orbit.

Rollout complete! The beautiful and advanced Long March 2F rocket! Looking forward to the upcoming Shenzhou-23 crewed mission from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Anticipation is building for this historic mission! #Chinaspace #Shenzhou23 #SpaceExploration

Combination of Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft, rocket begins transfer to launch area. Shenzhou-23 will be sending a new crew to China's Tiangong Space Station in the coming days!

🚀 Launch Day! The Lijian-1 rocket was developed by Cas Space, a commercial firm established by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The rocket serves the small satellite launch market, offering dedicated launches for single customers and rideshare missions.

🚀 Lift Off! China on Friday successfully launched a Lijian-1 Y13 carrier rocket from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, sending 5 satellites into the preset orbit.

🚀 Lift Off! Congratulations to LandSpace! China's private commercial space company. For successfully launching the Zhuque-2E Y5 carrier rocket into space from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China. #ChinaSpace #Rocket #SpaceExploration