LandSpace and Orienspace launch satellites for Qianfan constellation, marking first private rocket entry into large-scale broadband network

On September 15, LandSpace's Zhuque-2 improved variant (Yao-7) launched 10 Qianfan constellation networking satellites into their planned orbits. The following day, Orienspace's Gravity-1 (Yao-3) placed 8 Qianfan constellation networking satellites and 1 ultra-high-speed wireless communication (EUHT) technology test satellite into orbit.

Two private rocket companies executed large-scale low-Earth orbit broadband internet constellation networking missions on consecutive days. The most critical change is that large-scale constellation networking tasks previously handled by the national team have been entrusted to private rockets for the first time.

A Milestone for Private Commercial Space

The launch of the Zhuque-2 improved variant (Yao-7) marked the first time a Chinese private commercial space enterprise undertook a large-scale satellite internet constellation networking mission.

Private rockets had prior experience in constellation networking. The Ceres series rockets (including sea-launch variants) have conducted seven networking launches for the "Tianqi" low-orbit IoT communication constellation, six of which were dedicated launches. Private rockets have also long undertaken launches for remote sensing satellites and experimental payloads.

However, in large-scale low-orbit broadband internet constellations like Qianfan and GW—which require multi-satellite launches per rocket, high frequency, and low-cost deployment—private rockets had not previously entered the formal networking phase.

Deploying 10 official networking satellites in a single launch signifies that LandSpace has crossed the threshold from sporadic payload launches to batch delivery for large-scale constellation networking.

Gravity-1 Follows with a Sea Launch

Gravity-1 followed closely with a sea launch, further proving that this was not an accidental breakthrough by a single company.

According to Orienspace, this was the world's first implementation of a low-orbit broadband internet constellation networking task via mobile sea launch. The net payload for this mission was approximately 3.1 tons, setting new records for China's single sea-launch payload weight and orbital altitude.

It should be noted that the EUHT technology test satellite carried on the same rocket was developed by New岸line (Beijing) Technology Group and does not belong to the Qianfan constellation. Therefore, the two private rocket missions actually added 18 satellites to the Qianfan constellation, increasing its on-orbit count from 238 to 256. This leaves 68 satellites short of the first-phase global networking target of 324 satellites by the end of 2026.

Shifting Transport Capacity

The significance of these 18 satellites lies not only in catching up on networking progress but also in changing the source of transport capacity for the Qianfan constellation.

Previously, all scaled-up networking launches were performed by Long March series rockets. After the consecutive deliveries by LandSpace and Orienspace, private rockets began transitioning from carriers for IoT, remote sensing, and sporadic commercial payloads to service providers for large-scale low-orbit broadband internet constellation networking.

National Team and Private Sector: Three Launches in Three Days

On September 17, the national team's Long March 12 completed the launch of the Satellite Internet Low Orbit Group 25 satellites. This constellation is commonly known in the industry as the GW constellation.

Centered around the two major satellite internet constellations, Qianfan and GW, the national team and two private enterprises completed three networking launches within three days.

These three missions did not involve jointly building the same satellite network. The Zhuque-2 improved variant and Gravity-1 served the Qianfan constellation, while the Long March 12 handled the GW constellation task. The so-called "national team + commercial team" dynamic currently reflects a redivision of labor on the launch supply side: the national team continues to bear the main tasks for state-level constellations, while private rockets begin to take on the networking demands of large commercial constellations.

The New Competitive Standard

Behind this division of labor is the pressure on transport capacity caused by the simultaneous acceleration of the two major low-orbit constellations. Constellation networking requires stable supply over several years. Whether rockets can enter this market depends on four hard metrics:

• Payload capacity
• Price
• Launch frequency
• Continuous reliability

In recent years, the primary goal of private rocket competition was to complete maiden flights and achieve orbit entry, solving the question of "can we launch?" As large constellations entered the intensive networking period, clients began assessing whether rockets could produce according to schedule, achieve continuous success, deploy more satellites per launch, and reduce unit cost-to-orbit. The competitive standard has shifted from technical verification to industrialized delivery.

What the Zhuque-2 improved variant and Gravity-1 passed this time was precisely the hurdle of multi-satellite deployment capability. The former completed the deployment of 10 communication satellites at a 900-kilometer orbit, while the latter delivered over 3 tons of payload to an 800-kilometer orbit. The consecutive fulfillment of contracts by two types of commercial rockets using different propellants and launch methods indicates that large-scale low-orbit broadband internet constellations now have available transport capacity outside the national team.

Challenges Ahead

However, entering the supply chain does not mean securing a dominant position. Currently, there are still limited private rockets capable of stably executing multi-satellite networking tasks, and reusable rockets have not yet universally entered routine commercial operations. A single success only proves capability for a one-off mission; sustained order acquisition depends on subsequent launch frequency, costs, and success rates.

Going forward, what may determine the industry landscape is who can consistently secure large constellation orders and transform rocket production and launching into a repeatable delivery process.

Private rockets have entered the networking market for large-scale low-orbit broadband internet constellations. In the next phase, they may compete over how the final allocation of networking orders is distributed.

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