At 8:32 a.m. on September 17, China successfully launched the 25th batch of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites for its satellite internet constellation aboard a Long March-12 carrier rocket from the Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site. The satellites entered their preset orbit smoothly, and the launch mission was a complete success.
The LEO satellites for the satellite internet constellation are part of the GW constellation, launched and operated by China Satellite Network Group. The GW constellation is China's first mega satellite internet project and also the country's first space-air-ground integrated 6G internet plan.
It comprises two sub-constellations, GW-A59 and GW-A2, which together form a global internet satellite constellation. In the future, it will introduce a direct-to-cell satellite communication model. The GW constellation is planned to deploy a total of 12,992 satellites, including 6,080 satellites in the GW-A59 sub-constellation, which will operate in ultra-low orbits below 500 km, and 6,912 satellites in the GW-A2 sub-constellation, which will operate in near-Earth orbits at 1,145 km.