China launches 10 satellites aboard Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket from Sea platform PHOTO

China successfully launched 10 satellites into orbit late on Sunday, using the Jielong 3 (Smart Dragon 3) carrier rocket that lifted off from a mobile launch platform in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Haiyang in Shandong province, state media reported.

The solid‑propellant rocket blasted off from a launch service ship at 11:49 p.m. local time, placing the satellites into their planned sun‑synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometres, Caliber.Az reports via Chinese media.

The mission marked the second deployment of space assets for China’s CentiSpace network, a constellation developed by Beijing Future Navigation Technology designed for high‑performance occultation sensing, ionospheric data collection and inter‑satellite laser communication, the statement said.

The Smart Dragon 3, which stands approximately 31 meters tall and has a diameter of 2.65 meters, can carry up to 1.5 tonnes of satellite payload to orbit. The vehicle has now completed 10 launches, all conducted at sea since its maiden flight in December 2022, when it deployed 14 satellites.

China’s space program has been rapidly expanding its launch cadence. The latest mission was the country’s 17th space launch so far this year, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to build out commercial and government satellite networks.

China has stepped up its use of ship‑based launches in recent years to offer greater flexibility and frequency for commercial missions, part of a broader push to compete in the global space launch market.

By Aghakazim Guliyev