China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 6ALaunch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
SpaceSail Polar Group #8
Launched
May 12, 2026 · 11:59 UTC
Image: CCTV
Summary
SpaceSail Polar Group #8 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 6A from Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on May 12, 2026 at 11:59 UTC. The launch window ran from 11:49 to 12:09 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 589th launch, 19th this year and humanity's 7,282nd orbital launch attempt. It was the 23rd Long March 6A flight and the 4th this year. The payload was bound for Polar Orbit (PO). The tracked orbit of Qianfan Xingzuo 08-01, one of 19 catalogued objects, from May 18, 2026, was 823 × 839 km inclined 89.0°. 19 objects from this launch are catalogued, 18 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Polar Orbit (PO)
- Milestone
- 23rd Long March 6A flight · 4th this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 589th launch19th this yearhumanity's 7,282nd orbital launch attempt109th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Qianfan Xingzuo 08-01 · NORAD 69073 · 2026-104 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 19 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2026-104A
- Epoch
- 2026-05-18 13:52:49 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.20416799 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0010726
- Inclination
- 88.9868°
- Ascending node
- 345.0115°
- Arg. of perigee
- 164.4739°
- Mean anomaly
- 195.6783°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 88
- B*
- -0.82579
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: PO.
Catalogued objects
19 catalogued: 18 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 19 still in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-01 · NORAD 69073 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-02 · NORAD 69074 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-03 · NORAD 69075 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-04 · NORAD 69076 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-05 · NORAD 69077 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-06 · NORAD 69078 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-07 · NORAD 69079 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-08 · NORAD 69080 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-09 · NORAD 69081 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-10 · NORAD 69082 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-11 · NORAD 69083 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-12 · NORAD 69084 · in orbit
Show 6 more payloads
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-13 · NORAD 69085 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-14 · NORAD 69086 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-15 · NORAD 69087 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-16 · NORAD 69088 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-17 · NORAD 69089 · in orbit
- Qianfan Xingzuo 08-18 · NORAD 69090 · in orbit
CZ-6A Y23 Stage 2 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with funding backed by the Shanghai local government. Initial constellation will consist of 1296 satellites by 2027 with long term plans to expand it to 12000 satellites.
Pad
Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
24th launch from Launch Complex 9A, 4th this year · 155th from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: May 12, 7:59 PM GMT+8, in twilight
29 launches from this pad · 162 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
33 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 1 earlier update
Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload and launch vehicle identities uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/3/2026 · source
Questions
When did SpaceSail Polar Group #8 launch?
SpaceSail Polar Group #8 launched on May 12, 2026 at 11:59 UTC. The launch window ran from 11:49 to 12:09 UTC.
Where can I watch SpaceSail Polar Group #8?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched SpaceSail Polar Group #8?
Long March 6A, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 6A spec sheet
Where did SpaceSail Polar Group #8 launch from?
Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was May 12, 7:59 PM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did SpaceSail Polar Group #8 reach?
The tracked orbit of Qianfan Xingzuo 08-01, one of 19 catalogued objects, from May 18, 2026, was 823 × 839 km inclined 89.0°.
How many satellites did SpaceSail Polar Group #8 launch?
18 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 18 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).