Long March 8A launches low-orbit internet satellite group 18

A Long March 8A lifted off from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site at 23:25 Beijing time on January 13, 2026, carrying low-orbit internet satellite group 18. CASC confirmed the next day that the satellites reached their intended orbit. This was the Long March family's 625th flight. The rocket was developed by CASC's First Academy and the satellites by its Fifth Academy. Long March 8A combines a kerosene-fuelled first stage, a hydrogen-fuelled upper stage and two liquid boosters, with a 5.2-metre fairing for constellation deployment missions. Ground processing was also a focus. CASC said parallel work and coordinated scheduling had reduced the launch-test sequence to 18 days. A seven-day launch cycle followed by seven days of recovery remained a development goal, not an achieved turnaround for this flight. The vehicle entered service in 2025 with six successful missions and faced a busier schedule in 2026. The announcement confirms the launch and orbital delivery, not completion of the constellation's deployment or operational service. The event occurred on January 13; the source was published on January 14.