What Happened
Gravity-1 Y3 Completes Successful Mission with Nine Satellites
The Gravity-1 Y3 carrier rocket has successfully launched nine satellites, including eight Qianfan Constellation networking satellites and one enhanced ultra-high throughput technology test satellite, into their planned orbit from waters east of Shanghai. The mission set a new Chinese record for the heaviest single sea-launch payload, with a net payload exceeding 3 metric tons at an orbital altitude of 800 kilometers. This achievement marks a significant milestone for OrienSpace, the company behind the Gravity-1 program, and demonstrates the potential for sea launches to support large-scale constellation deployment. According to reports from Global Times and other sources, this mission was a major step forward for China’s commercial space sector, as reported by BigGo Finance.