The mission to low Earth orbit<\/a> (LEO) was a complete success, according to<\/a> the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n A Chinese Long March 5B rocket launches the eighth batch of satellites for the Guowang internet megaconstellation from Hainan island on Aug. 13, 2025. (Image credit: CCTV)<\/p>\n Guowang, whose name translates as “national network,” will be operated by China Satnet, a state-run company established in 2021<\/a>. The constellation will eventually consist of about 13,000 satellites, if all goes to plan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guowang is a long way from that goal. Wednesday’s launch was just the eighth overall for the network, and each mission lofts just eight to 10 spacecraft<\/a>, apparently because each satellite is quite large.<\/p>\n For comparison, SpaceX<\/a> launches 24 to 28 satellites on each mission to assemble its Starlink<\/a> broadband megaconstellation, which currently consists of nearly 8,100 operational spacecraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n But China is picking up the Guowang pace: Wednesday’s liftoff was the fourth for the project in less than three weeks.<\/p>\n Guowang isn’t the only Chinese broadband megaconstellation in the works. Another one, called Qianfan<\/a> (“Thousand Sails”), began construction last year, like Guowang \u2014 and it’s envisioned to be just as big.<\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/vavCEm8HYLA5AyvPdmiVjV.jpg\")
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