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China has launched another batch of satellites for its satellite internet network, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). A Long March 8 (CZ-8) rocket lifted the group-24 satellite series into orbit on 17 August 2026 from the commercial space launch site at Hainan near Wenchang, CNSA confirmed in its official statement.
The payload belongs to the GW constellation (Guowang), operated by China Satellite Network Group (China SatNet) and destined to become China’s planned mega-constellation for broadband internet from low Earth orbit – an initiative often compared to Starlink in the United States. The CZ-8 launch vehicle, built by the state aerospace contractor CASC, is designed for rapid constellation deployment and regularly flies from Hainan’s purpose-built commercial launch infrastructure.
With the group-24 flight, China continues building out its satellite internet constellation, aimed at providing a domestic, externally independent communications infrastructure in space. CNSA did not disclose the number or detailed technical specifications of the satellites in its announcement; state aerospace group CASC has indicated the constellation is planned to eventually comprise several hundred satellites across multiple orbital planes.