Chinese rocket sets record for simultaneous launch of 22 satellites

The Long March-8 rocket took off on February 27 from the Wenchang Launch Site in China's southernmost province of Hainan, carrying 22 satellites for a range of commercial space companies.

China launched 22 satellites with Long March-8 rocket.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) later confirmed the launch was successful. The satellites are in turn deployed into orbit in 12 groups. They will be used primarily for commercial remote sensing services, marine environmental monitoring, forest fire prevention and disaster mitigation. This is the 409th flight of the Long March rocket series.

Missile Long March-8 is a modified version of an old Long March missile with medium lift capacity, with a height of 48 m and a take-off weight of 198 tons. It uses non-toxic and non-polluting propulsion.

Compared to the original model, the modified version does not have a pair of side boosters but can launch multiple satellites with different orbital requirements.

The Long March-8 is a new generation of China's anti-aircraft missile, developed in 2017 and carried out its first mission at the Wenchang coastal launch site on December 22, 2020.

Missile commander Xiao Yun said that CASC is building an assembly and testing plant exclusively for the Long March-8 missile model outside the Wenchang launch site. Once completed, it will shorten the launch interval between Long March-8 rockets to seven days, allowing for 50 launches per year.