On the afternoon of July 30, 2025, Beijing time, the atmosphere at Launch Site 1 of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center was tense yet exhilarating. The Long March 8A Yao-3 carrier rocket, under the watchful eyes of many, roared into the sky, successfully delivering the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation 06 into near-Earth orbit. This achievement marks not only the second launch of the Long March 8A rocket but also heralds the beginning of a more intensive launch schedule, injecting strong momentum into China’s massive low Earth orbit constellation networking construction.
The Long March 8A is a rising star in the commercial space launch sector. As a medium-sized cryogenic liquid carrier rocket meticulously developed for the commercial space launch market, it carries significant responsibilities. It is primarily used for launching tasks related to Earth’s medium and low orbit constellation networking, while also being capable of high orbit and deep space launch missions due to its outstanding performance. Its unique two-and-a-half stage configuration design is ingeniously crafted, with the core stage tightly coupled to the second stage, and two boosters acting as robust wings, bound alongside the core stage. Compared to the Long March 8, the Long March 8A has undergone a complete transformation, upgrading the original 3-meter diameter hydrogen-oxygen upper stage to a 3.35-meter diameter hydrogen-oxygen upper stage. This critical improvement has resulted in a qualitative leap in the rocket’s payload capacity, increasing by approximately 55%.
In terms of appearance and performance data, the Long March 8A is a colossal entity. The entire rocket stands 50.539 meters tall (with a 5.2-meter diameter fairing), the core stage has a diameter of 3.35 meters, and the boosters have a diameter of 2.25 meters. At launch, it resembles a roaring beast, weighing approximately 371 tons, with a launch thrust of about 480 tons. Its near-Earth orbit (LEO) capacity reaches 10 tons, and its capacity for a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) exceeds 7 tons, making it a significant player on the aerospace stage.
The Long March 8 series of rockets has been known for its speed since its inception, akin to the “Flash” of the aerospace field. A short development cycle is one of its major advantages, with a clear goal of achieving high-frequency launches once a week, which is undoubtedly a timely boon for massive constellation networking. Currently, the Long March 8 series rockets have two important launch sites: the Wenchang Space Launch Site’s Medium Rocket Launch Pad 201 and the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center’s Launch Site 1. Among them, Launch Site 1 at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center is the exclusive territory for the Long March 8 series rockets, equipped with powerful dense launch support capabilities, designed to complete a launch in 7 days and recover in another 7 days, theoretically allowing for a launch every 14 days. When both launch pads are ready, the Long March 8 series rockets will continue to optimize testing and launch processes to further enhance launch frequency.
Looking back at the launch history of the Long March 8 series rockets, the shortest launch interval occurred between the Long March 8A Yao-1 mission on February 11, 2025, at 17:30 and the Long March 8 Yao-6 mission on March 12, 2025, at 00:38, with less than 29 days between them, but this was achieved at different launch sites. Moving forward, the Long March 8 series rockets will face new challenges and breakthroughs, with plans to achieve two consecutive launches from the commercial launch site 1 within 27 days.
According to reliable sources, at approximately 3:00 AM Beijing time on August 26, 2025, the Long March 8A carrier rocket will once again launch from Hainan Commercial Launch Site 1, executing its third launch mission, aiming to successfully deliver the satellites into near-Earth orbit (LEO).
Currently, China’s massive low Earth orbit constellation has entered a critical period of continuous batch networking launches, but the demand for launch services from carrier rockets exceeds supply. At this crucial moment, the Long March 8 series rockets stand out with their significant characteristics of “large payload capacity, low cost, and high frequency,” making them the best choice to fill the capacity gap. Since being put into service for massive constellation networking launches, it has quickly become the main rocket. On February 11, 2025, the maiden flight of the Long March 8A was dedicated to the launch of the China Star Network, with the first two missions successfully launching the low Earth orbit constellation satellites; on March 12, 2025, the Long March 8 Yao-6 successfully completed the “Thousand Sails” constellation networking launch mission. In the future, the Long March 8A will continue to play a crucial role in supporting the launch of China’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation.
The realization of high-frequency launches by the Long March 8A rocket marks an important milestone in China’s space endeavors. It provides solid support for the construction of China’s massive low Earth orbit constellation networking, and with the continuous increase in launch frequency and ongoing technological improvements, it is expected to meet the growing demand for satellite launches in the future, leading China’s space industry towards a more glorious future.
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Editor | Composite Materials Editor
Reviewed by | Cici
Source: Composite Materials Perspective
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