Tianlian 2-06

Tianlian 2-06 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 3B/E from Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on July 23, 2026 at 12:00 UTC. The launch window ran from 11:52 to 12:54 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 605th launch, 35th this year and humanity's 7,348th orbital launch attempt. It was the 78th Long March 3B/E flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). It reached a 223 × 35,818 km orbit inclined 27.0°.

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second generation of this relay satellite network, and is based on the DFH-4 Bus, a three-axis-stabilized telecommunications satellite platform. TL 2 will be used to support real-time communications between orbiting satellites and ground control stations. This system will replace the current network of ground-based space tracking and telemetry stations and space tracking ships.