SpaceSail Polar Group #8

Placed 18 Qianfan Polar Group 09 broadband satellites into near-polar orbit from Taiyuan, raising the Spacesail megaconstellation to 144 spacecraft; the southbound ascent produced a widely seen 'jellyfish' effect in the upper atmosphere.

Outcome

Success

Orbit

PO

Polar orbit

Payload to orbit

5.4 T (est.)

Flight

23rd

of 27 Long March 6A flights

Date and time

12 May 2026, 11:59 UTC

Rocket

Long March 6A

Builder

CASC

Launch site

Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Payload

Communications

International designator

2026-104

Launches in 2026

109th of 243

See it in orbit

Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.

View satellites in Space Atlas↗