China carried out its third and fourth orbital launches of 2026 within hours of each other, sending an Earth-observation satellite for Algeria into orbit aboard a Long March rocket and adding four spacecraft to a domestic internet-of-things constellation via a nighttime sea launch.
A Long March 2C lifts off from Jiuquan spaceport carrying the AlSat-3A satellite into orbit for Algeria, Jan. 15 (UTC), 2026. Credit: CASC
The first mission saw a Long March 2C rocket lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:01 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 14 (0401 UTC, Jan. 15). Video from the launch showed insulation tiles shedding from the vehicle as it climbed over the desert spaceport in northwest China. The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation later confirmed a successful mission, identifying the payload as Algeria’s AlSat-3A remote-sensing satellite.
Also known as Algerian Remote Sensing Satellite-3A, the spacecraft is intended to provide very high-resolution Earth-observation data, strengthening Algeria’s geospatial intelligence and monitoring capabilities. While technical details were not disclosed, Algerian media reports highlighted the satellite’s role in national development and security applications.
The launch followed a contract signed in July 2023 between the China Great Wall Industry Corporation—a CASC subsidiary—and the Algerian Space Agency for the on-orbit delivery of two optical remote-sensing satellites. The Long March 2C launcher was provided by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, while the satellite itself was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. China and Algeria have previously cooperated on space projects, including the Alcomsat-1 communications satellite.
Tracking data later cataloged by the U.S. Space Force placed AlSat-3A into an orbit roughly 489 by 627 kilometers in altitude with an inclination of about 97 degrees, consistent with a sun-synchronous Earth-observation mission.
Nighttime Sea Launch Adds to Tianqi Constellation
Hours after the Algeria mission, China conducted a nighttime sea launch using a Ceres-1 solid rocket developed by commercial launch provider Galactic Energy. The Ceres-1S Y7 vehicle lifted off at 3:10 p.m. Eastern (2010 UTC) on Jan. 15 from the converted sea platform Defu 15001, positioned off the coast of Shandong province.
Galactic Energy announced the successful deployment of four satellites—Tianqi numbers 37 through 40—into 850-kilometer-altitude orbits inclined at 45 degrees. The spacecraft are part of the Tianqi constellation, one of China’s more mature commercial internet-of-things networks, operated by startup Guodian Gaoke.
The mission marked a return to flight for the light-lift Ceres-1 after a failure in November 2025 caused by an anomaly in the rocket’s fourth stage, restoring confidence in the vehicle as Galactic Energy ramps up launch activity.
The two missions brought China’s total orbital launch attempts for 2026 to four, following earlier January flights that placed Yaogan-50 (01) into an unusual highly retrograde orbit aboard a Long March 6A and sent another batch of Guowang broadband satellites aloft on a Long March 8A.
Activity is set to intensify further in the coming days. A Long March 3B rocket is expected to launch from Xichang in southwest China around midday Eastern on Jan. 16, while Galactic Energy could attempt the debut flight of its larger Ceres-2 solid rocket from Jiuquan’s Dongfeng commercial test zone as early as late Jan. 16 Eastern. Another mission, using the new Long March 12, is anticipated from the coastal Hainan commercial spaceport around Jan. 19.
China recorded 92 launches in 2025 and is widely expected to surpass 100 orbital missions for the first time this year. Major milestones planned for 2026 include the first flight of the Long March 10A heavy-lift rocket, missions of the Mengzhou crew spacecraft, Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24—potentially carrying an international astronaut to the Tiangong space station—and the Chang’e-7 robotic mission to explore the Moon’s south pole.
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