China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 8ACommercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
SatNet LEO Group 20
Launched
March 12, 2026 · 19:48 UTC
Image: CASC
Summary
SatNet LEO Group 20 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A from Commercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China on March 12, 2026 at 19:48 UTC. The launch window ran from 19:40 to 20:05 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 578th launch, 8th this year and humanity's 7,224th orbital launch attempt. It was the 8th Long March 8A flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). WHDW 20-01, one of 10 catalogued objects, reached a 874 × 887 km orbit inclined 50.0°. 10 objects from this launch are catalogued, 9 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 8th Long March 8A flight · 2nd this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 578th launch8th this yearhumanity's 7,224th orbital launch attempt51st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
WHDW 20-01 · NORAD 68129 · 2026-047 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 10 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- OBJECT A
- Object ID
- 2026-047A
- Epoch
- 2026-03-13 13:57:35 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.05945198 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0009102
- Inclination
- 50.0056°
- Ascending node
- 54.6262°
- Arg. of perigee
- 266.5755°
- Mean anomaly
- 93.4109°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 11
- B*
- 0.000012327525
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO.
Catalogued objects
10 catalogued: 9 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 10 still in orbit
- WHDW 20-01 · NORAD 68129 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-02 · NORAD 68130 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-03 · NORAD 68131 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-04 · NORAD 68132 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-05 · NORAD 68133 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-06 · NORAD 68134 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-07 · NORAD 68135 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-08 · NORAD 68136 · in orbit
- WHDW 20-09 · NORAD 68137 · in orbit
CZ-8A Y8 Stage 2 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
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
Commercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
8th launch from Commercial LC-1, 2nd this year · 58th from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: Mar 13, 3:48 AM GMT+8, at night
14 launches from this pad · 75 from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
58 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Questions
When did SatNet LEO Group 20 launch?
SatNet LEO Group 20 launched on March 12, 2026 at 19:48 UTC. The launch window ran from 19:40 to 20:05 UTC.
Where can I watch SatNet LEO Group 20?
Coverage: Watch Long March 8A Launch SatNet LEO Group 20 from Wenchang, LIVE!! (Official TSDG Broadcast). Watch the replay
What rocket launched SatNet LEO Group 20?
Long March 8A, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 8A spec sheet
Where did SatNet LEO Group 20 launch from?
Commercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was Mar 13, 3:48 AM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did SatNet LEO Group 20 reach?
WHDW 20-01, one of 10 catalogued objects, reached a 874 × 887 km orbit inclined 50.0°.
How many satellites did SatNet LEO Group 20 launch?
9 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 9 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).