On November 3, Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology used a CAS Space Lijian-2 Y2 rocket to send the 21st batch of Qianfan Constellation satellites—18 in total—into an 800-kilometer near-polar orbit from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone in Jiuquan. The launch brings the constellation's total number of satellites in orbit to 274.
Qianfan is China's first commercial low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation to enter large-scale deployment. Equipped with multi-band Ku/Q/V communication payloads, it delivers broadband access for maritime, aviation, remote-area and emergency communication use cases.
Under the plan, the first phase of Qianfan calls for 648 satellites, with 324 set to be in orbit by the end of 2026, enabling basic regional coverage and the start of commercial operations. In the longer term, the constellation is designed to exceed 15,000 satellites, integrating broadband communications, the Internet of Things and other services.