SatNet test satellite

Overview

Destination: Polar Orbit
Mission: Communications

Polar Orbit South China Sea (launch location 3) Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite". Probable 1 (?) test satellite for the Chinese state-owned LEO communication satellite constellation SatNet.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • April 4, 2026, 12:12 a.m.

Added launch per NOTAMs; Launch vehicle and payload identities highly uncertain.


Cosmic_Penguin • April 7, 2026, 11:16 a.m.

Updated launch window per new NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • April 11, 2026, 1:30 p.m.

Launch success.


Smart Dragon 3

Family:
Configuration:

Smart Dragon-3 is a solid fuel orbital rocket designed by a subsidiary of the state-owned CASC group built for the commercial market.

Specifications
  • Length
    32.0 m
  • Diameter
    2.64 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Launch Mass
    140.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Smart Dragon 3
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Smart Dragon 3
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    1500.0 kg

China Rocket Co. Ltd.

China Rocket Co. Ltd.

(CHNR)

Successes: 12 Failures: 0 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

China Rocket Co. Ltd. is a spinoff of China’s state-owned launch vehicle manufacturer using a “commercial business model”.

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Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

South China Sea (launch location 3)


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