China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 8A201, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)
Launched
February 11, 2025 · 09:30 UTC
Image: CASC/Li Yanming 李艳明
Summary
SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight) launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A from 201, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China on February 11, 2025 at 09:30 UTC. The launch window ran from 09:22 to 10:12 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 506th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 6,879th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Long March 8A flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). WHDW 02-01, one of 10 catalogued objects, reached a 870 × 881 km orbit inclined 50.0°. 10 objects from this launch are catalogued, 9 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Live: Long March 8A Demo Flight (No Commentary)International Rocket Launches
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 1st Long March 8A flightChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 506th launch5th this yearhumanity's 6,879th orbital launch attempt30th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
WHDW 02-01 · NORAD 62971 · 2025-030 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 10 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2025-030A
- Epoch
- 2025-02-11 15:42:02 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.07392958 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0007854
- Inclination
- 49.9955°
- Ascending node
- 232.6164°
- Arg. of perigee
- 258.6527°
- Mean anomaly
- 101.3447°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 3
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
10 catalogued: 9 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 10 still in orbit
- WHDW 02-01 · NORAD 62971 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-02 · NORAD 62972 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-03 · NORAD 62973 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-04 · NORAD 62974 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-05 · NORAD 62975 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-06 · NORAD 62976 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-07 · NORAD 62977 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-08 · NORAD 62978 · in orbit
- WHDW 02-09 · NORAD 62979 · in orbit
CZ-8A Y1 Stage 2 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Demonstration flight of the Long March 8A rocket with upgraded first stage and boosters engines, and a new larger liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage with new YF-75H engines derived from ones used on the Long March 5. Payload is a batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.
Pad
201, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
21st launch from 201, 1st this year · 35th from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: Feb 11, 5:30 PM GMT+8, in daylight
33 launches from this pad · 75 from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
87 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 5 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 2/11/2025 · source
Unofficial Webcast by International Rocket Launches has started
LL2 · 2/11/2025 · source
Tweaked launch window per new NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 2/7/2025 · source
Delayed to NET February 11 per new NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/24/2025 · source
Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload identities uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/21/2025 · source
Questions
When did SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight) launch?
SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight) launched on February 11, 2025 at 09:30 UTC. The launch window ran from 09:22 to 10:12 UTC.
Where can I watch SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)?
Coverage: Live: Long March 8A Demo Flight (No Commentary). Watch the replay
What rocket launched SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)?
Long March 8A, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 8A spec sheet
Where did SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight) launch from?
201, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was Feb 11, 5:30 PM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight) reach?
WHDW 02-01, one of 10 catalogued objects, reached a 870 × 881 km orbit inclined 50.0°.
How many satellites did SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight) launch?
9 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 9 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).